私は、キラ I, Kira
by ChrisYagami
Summary: What could a battle between an otaku Kira and an elitist L look like in the real world? Contains elements of Humour, Adventure, Mystery, Parody, Crime, Potato Chips, Family, Frendship, Strategy, Politics, Explosions etc. My first story. Extremely OC centered. Contains spoilers.
1. Prologue

**Hi everyone. I'm ChrisYagami, and this is the beginning of my first ever FanFic. I first started throwing ideas for this together in February, and due to school, procrastination, communication delays etc. it's taken me this long to finally begin publishing. Not sure how many chapters this will be, but I can already tell it'll probably be a 2-digit number. Please don't forget to review, since it really would help to hear what you have to say about it so far. Currently rated T, although this may change in the near future.**

 **I hope you will all like it. Enjoy!**

 **(Rugo's POV)**

Footsteps. I hear footsteps. Shit, another Shinigami must have found out where I am. But how? They couldn't find me by chance, since I'm sure I must be at least a hundred miles from any inhabited area. I made sure I didn't tell anyone where I was going except… no, it can't be her. This isn't the sound of her footsteps. After all these years of being completely alone, I'm a little panicked, to say the least.

I quietly walk out of my makeshift home, which is little more than a cave going deep into the side of the stony mountain. That's one of the good things about these mountain ranges, they are always full of ready-made hide-outs in the form of caves. Really I didn't need to use mine for much, other than hibernating.

I decide to speak up to whoever it was that I heard earlier. 'Hallo? Ist jemand dam?' ('Hello? Is someone there?')

'I apologize for not speaking German.' I hear in English behind me. 'Granted, English isn't my first language either but it's the only one we both know.'

I turn around to see who it was that had come here. This Shinigami has a human-like form, wearing a dark jacket and a strangling red tie as a headband. He walks slower than most, both because of the uneven ground and because he seems to be limping slightly, unusual for a near-immortal being. A strange grin is etched across his face, and spiky brown hair sprouts from his head. He wears an appealing coat and carries a hammer-like scythe, but what strikes me first is the goggles.

'Those goggles, are they yours?' I ask. There are two kinds of shinigami: Those who were "born" as shinigami and have spent their entire existence as one, and humans who had used a Death Note and hence became shinigami when they die, like me. All original shingami were born with the eyes of death, while humans only get the eyes if they had made "the eye deal" during their lifetime. So if this shinigami's goggles were his, that would mean he must have been a human once, who had used a Death Note but never traded half his lifespan for the eyes.

'Yes' He replies in an accent I still cannot identify, his bright red eyes staring into my own. At least I can feel relived knowing that this god of death has at least something in common with me. But still, I must know how and why he found me.

'So what is it you want here? You couldn't have wandered here by chance, so why have you come this far just to see me?'

'Listen, Rugo…' I have never seen or even heard of this Shinigami before, so how did he know my name? I suppose someone else told him about me. I'm not exactly an undiscussed topic among the other gods of death, especially after everything I did all those years ago.

'Yes?'

'When was the last time you looked into the human world?'

'Well, the last time I looked into any of the human worlds was… a bit over ten years ago.'

'When was the last time you talked to another shinigami?'

'That was… also a bit over ten years ago.'

'I see, so you have no way of knowing anything about what's been going on down there since then, am I correct?'

'Yes. Did something happen?'

'Things happen in the human worlds all the time, so of course!'

'Well yeah, I remember back when I…'

'How old were you?' What? How much does this Shinigami know about me? What is he doing here?

'Can we please not talk about it!? I… I'm still trying to forget about all that.'

'Why forget? What you did was honorable, and you shouldn't deny it just because you think you made a few mistakes. I mean, look at you, trapping yourself in the past like a stubborn child.'

He's right. If it weren't for the eyes of death, the wings or the gigantic scythe, one might mistake me for a normal human, dressed in some strange outfit. But I'm not a kid.

'Don't call me a child. I'm older than most humans ever get to be.'

'Yes, but if you take out all the time you've spent in hibernation, how old are you really? How many years of your life have you actually spent in a state of consciousness?'

'Including my time as a human, 18, I think. But why do you care? Why does any of this matter to you?'

'It matters to me because… what you did… you actually remind me so much of myself. Tell me, putting the past behind you, what is it you truly want?'

'I just want to go back, to my world. I mean, it is a lot more fun to be in than this world, where not a single blade of grass grows in the ground, and not a single insect crawls between the rocks. I've never felt at home here, trapped in the Shinigami realm. But to go back I'd need a second Death Note to drop through the portal, and even then there'd be a chance no human ever picks it up, and even then they might burn it… or…'

The other shinigami replies as the overcast sky above begins to clear up.

'You sound awfully pessimistic. Moping around with sadness and sorrow… what will come of it? If we are to die one day, wouldn't it be better to have no regrets?'


	2. 38

**Alright, a bit of an update: I, Kira will soon have multiple pages in the Death Note fanon wikia! No reviews or anything to reply to yet, but that's not too big a deal.**

 **(Chris' POV)**

 _'_ _Well, Light, it's been fun.'_

At that last sentence, my eyes snap open, only to be met with sunlight streaming through the window. As the last traces of sleep vanish, I slowly realize I have my face smushed into a pillow in the corner of my bed located in the corner of my bedroom. There is very little color in my room. White walls, white ceiling, a grey carpeted floor and dark wooden furniture.

I look around half-asleep before hearing a faint noise from across the upstairs hallway. The shower. Obviously I can't tell if the person in it is my mum or sister, but either way, the fact that someone was in there meant I must have woken up much later than normal. I turn on my IPhone to see what time it is, and sure enough, it's already 7:24. Shit. I need to get ready for school in half the time I usually do.

I immediately rip off the world-map-themed bedsheets I was lying under and flop out of bed, but as I'm about to run downstairs I see that the bedsheets have knocked over the Nendoroid figurines on my desk. I definitely don't have OCD, but sometimes it sure feels like it. So I stand them back upright one by one, all _Death Note_ characters, starting with Teru and then Mello, Misa, Near, L, and finally, my favorite of them all.

Light Yagami.

If you ask most _Death Note_ fans who Light was, almost all of them will say he was the antagonist, the villain, the "bad guy". But if you stand back for a minute and see what Light was really doing, what Kira was really doing, it all makes logical sense. If I recall correctly, in the manga Light stated that by the time he was defeated, global crime rates dropped over 70 percent, conventional warfare had ended and most criminal organizations around the world had collapsed completely. Had Light succeeded, it wouldn't be long before (almost) total world peace was established, saving and improving millions of lives for every one he took. So since Light's aim is to abolish all evil in the world, is there really a more noble or honorable cause for murder? Sure, he had his problems, but doesn't everyone have their imperfections? In any case, I don't have time to ponder that for too long. I carefully set my Nendoroid of Light back on the desk.

I meander my way to my dresser and throw on my school uniform. Once dressed, I go to the kitchen, grab something to eat, and sit down at the table. So what was my dream about? By now I can only remember that last sentence, no doubt Ryuk's dialogue from episode 37. Everything else has already been erased from my memory and probably lost forever. But those last words run through my mind at least a dozen times as I eat. Something about the way they were spoken seems... off. While I'm thinking, my seriousness catches the notice of my sister.

'You okay Chris? You look like something's bothering you… It's a girl, isn't it?'

'N-no, why… why would you think that, Indy?'

'You're only 15. You should be focusing on studying and schoolwork; you shouldn't be getting distracted by things you aren't even mature enough for.'

'Look, I just had a bad dream, okay? ... And what do you mean I'm not mature enough?'

'Well, for one thing you still watch those Chinese cartoons…'

'Indy, how many times do I have to tell you? Anime and shitty western "cartoons" are completely different!'

'They're both animated shows for little kids.'

'Did you… seriously just say that the anime I watch is for kids? Fine, in twenty years when I'm babysitting your children I'll show them Attack on Titan and see how they like it.'

'I'm not having kids.'

'You say that now, but I bet you'll change your mind eventually.'

'After hearing you two have this same argument so many times, I can almost see where your sister's coming from,' I hear behind me.

'Mum, what did I say about chiming into our conversations?'

'I can do whatever I want, Chris! For as long as you're living under my roof, I make the rules, not you! Just when will you get that through your thick head?!'

'Mum, let's not have this argument now,' I reply, making sure my bag is packed before jumping out the door.

Once I get onto the train at the last possible moment, I turn on my phone and look at my news feed, to see if there's anything interesting today. Just the usual shit. Another terrorist bombing in Iran, another mass shooting in America, rising tensions between the US and Russia, the stories begin to blur together as I stare out into the countryside. Every day you're just hearing the same story about war, terrorism, murder, crime, and injustice. The names of the people and places involved always change, but in reality, you just hear the same thing over and over again. Combine that with the collapse of the planet's stable climate and the rise of overtly fascist police states in the so-called "free" western countries, even down here in Australia, and the conclusion is unavoidable: This world is dying. Not that anyone cares.

So today is starting out as usual. I go through the usual pattern of sitting in the seat closest to the window (to increase my chances of becoming a main character), taking out a notebook and pretending to write notes, while most of the time I'm actually just writing ideas for fan fiction stories. Next thing I know it's lunchtime, and I slide my books into my bag and leave the classroom with the others.

As usual, I'm just walking around the school aimlessly with my friends as we talk about things. Really I'm not sure if you could even call them friends since all I ever do is tag along with them to ease the boredom of lunchtime. Still, it's good to have nothing to worry about-

'Hey! Chrissy!'

-except this asshole. Alexander Rockley. You know how every school has that guy that lets his anger out on all the weaker kids, thinking it'll make him look less weak himself? Well, that's Alex. Oh, and did I mention that he's the principal's son? So yeah, he can basically do whatever he wants without ever being punished. Much like most western governments.

'What is it now?' I succeed in omitting any "descriptive words" From my question.

'Where the hell is my 5 bucks?'

'You know I didn't accept that deal'

Just for some context: In Agricultural Studies, Alex challenged me to change the password to the teacher's computer to something ridiculous, or I'd have to pay him 5 dollars. Obviously, he was too much of a wimp to try this himself, or perhaps he wanted me to be the one that gets caught. It's probably both, but I can't exactly blame him for the latter since I too prefer people other than me to be the ones to have their asses handed to them. Either way, I told him I had no interest in the deal, but he's now pretending I accepted it.

'You can't turn back now. You said you accepted my challenge!'

'I didn't accept anything! You're just making shit up now.'

And that, kids, is how to get a 16-year-old freckled redhead's fist in your stomach. Oh, I should mention that the only people in the entire hallway are me, Alex, and my previously mentioned "friends". They aren't going to get involved, since they're all even weaker than I am. Either that or they don't really care. Probably both.

'Well, it looks like someone's off his meds today', I say, trying to ignore the pain.

'Yeah, you.'

'Is that seriously the best comeback you could come up with?'

And that, kids, is how to get a 16-year-old freckled redhead's other fist in your throat. I instantly drop to the floor, barely able to breathe.

'WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?!' Comes a voice from the back of the hallway, behind Alex.

No, that was not said by a teacher, or by an ordinary spectator, but rather by _Her_. Viper Scott. The second hottest and deadliest girl in the entire school. Nearly every boy east of the Murray-Darling has had a crush on her at some point, but I was one of the few people she didn't pretend to not even see. Ever since I first joined the mafia in my first year of Junior High, she's promised to keep me safe from any "threats". She probably thinks of me as just a former business partner and minor liability, but I'm not actually sure what to think of her. On one hand, she's pretty hot, like REALLY hot, and we share many of the same interests. On the other hand, she's an assassin and with 7 kills to her name. And most of those kills were of relatively innocent people.

Alex drops me instantly and I fall to the ground. He probably remembers what happened when Viper caught him bullying me last month. His gunshot wounds are still probably visible under his shirt. And he can't ruin her like he can ruin any other kid, since she is one of the most high-ranking members of the Australian mafia, who's easily capable of ordering Alex's "accidental" death at a moment's notice. So, to sum it all up, she's basically Mello. But as a girl with brown hair and purple-ish eyes.

'This isn't what you think it is!'

'I think you just punched my friend, Christian Atarashimono, twice. You know that even under the legal-'

But Viper can't even finish her sentence because Alex has darted out the hallway.

'Hey, you OK?' She asks, extending her hand down to help me back on my feet.

'Oh, yeah, I'm fine. Just a little-'

'You still hang out with these nerds? Come on, how many times do I have to tell you!'

'They're my friends okay? So what if they may not be as "cool" as other people.'

'I'm just saying, with your skills and intelligence you should spend your time with us again, not… this.'

'I'm not returning to the mafia.'

I can tell Viper is upset by this. She's always said I was one of the group's most capable members and one of their greatest assets, but I'll never want to work with heartless criminals again. And I'm not exactly on good terms with some of them anyway.

'Well, if you ever change your mind, the door's wide open. I've missed you, Onomihsarata. We all have.' I highly doubt that. (For those wondering, Onomihsarata was my alias in the mafia.)

The rest of the day goes by as normal. After school I take the train back home. Now I'm just walking home from the station. It's pleasantly quiet. There's no-one else around, just the occasional car passing by. I reach into my pocket and pull out my iPod, put my earphones in and randomly click on one of the soundtracks I've saved. I end up with the first Code Geass opening. Good enough.

It's actually quite a pleasant afternoon. The sun is covered by clouds but there's a nice breeze coming through the street, and the birds are chirping, and its raining books… wait what?


	3. Notebook

Now Australia may be a weird place, but that doesn't mean stuff just naturally falls out of the sky every now and then. Well, it does, but not very often. I walk up to the object that has just fallen in front of me, and what I see is rather interesting. A small black notebook with the words 'DEATH NOTE' over the front cover. So it's a fake Death Note, for cosplaying by the looks of it. I wonder who dropped it, or how they dropped it, since I saw it fall to the sidewalk but there are no trees or buildings someone could have dropped it from. Well, I suppose someone on the roof of the abandoned warehouse on the other side of the road could have thrown it this way, but then it would have landed diagonally, not vertically.

I pick it up. It's too heavy for it to have been carried by the wind, so how did it get here? Did it fall from a plane or a helicopter or something? Oh well, I suppose this thing's mine now! I put it in my school bag. It looks just like a Death Note, so it's probably one of those replica merchandise ones that you can buy on the internet. I've never thought to get one myself, since the nendroids accidentally took up my merchandise budget. Well I suppose I have one now!

I wonder what would happen if a got a real Death Note. What if I really could kill someone just by writing their name down? Would I use it the same way Light did? Would I become a "Kira"? It certainly sounds fun. Just to think about it, I, Chris Atarashimono, would save my world from all evil! I would create a utopian world where everybody can live peacefully and happily, a world not ruled by the totalitarian capitalist elite, or whatever they call themselves nowadays. Unfortunately, Death Notes are basically magic, so they can't exist in real life.

'Hey mum, I'm home now!' I say as I close the door behind me.

'Hey Chris! Would you …' For a moment she suddenly seems like she's been completely distracted by something, despite the fact she's looking straight at me.

'Yes? … Mum?'

'Oh, it's nothing, I just noticed your, uh, hairstyle is different from what it was this morning. Would you like an afternoon snack?'

'No, mum, I'm fine. Anyway, I'll just get started on my homework now, so don't bother me.'

'Are you sure you don't need anything?'

'No mum.' I already have everything I need in my room.

'Good boy.'

Once in my room, I unpack my bag. What I said was partially true, I do have some homework I need to get done, but really it's not much. Most of my time after school is spent either gaming, reading or watching anime.

'Hey! Chris! Come down here for a second!' I hear mum shouting from downstairs. Right now my head is completely empty of thoughts, a side-effect of the stressful day at school.

'What?'

'I'll be taking your sister to that Justin Bieber concert now, so be good while I'm gone!'

Dammit, I really hate that kid. Not only is he a talentless idiot, but he has repeatedly stated that he hates anime! Even though I know it isn't going to do anything, I suppose it wouldn't kill me to write his name down in the replica Death Note. I suppose it's the thought that counts.

'Listen, we're going now, so if the phone rings, answer it okay?'

'Sure mum.'

The moment she closes the door behind her, I run up the stairs and grab the Death Note out of my school bag, taking it to my desk with a pen in my hand. I then proceed to write down two words at the top of the first page of the notebook.

 _Justin Bieber_

I know it won't actually work but, well, at least I'll have a cool replica. Still, it's fun to think about. Anyway, I might as well unpack my bag now and see if I-

*BEEP*

Huh? I pull out my phone to see who had texted me. It's Indy. And she said…

' _!_ '

My eyes widen. What does that mean?

' _?_ ', I reply.

' ** _!_** '

' _Can you please talk English?_ '

' _We're being kept out of the concert area for some reason, and a bunch of ambulance trucks have just arrived! I don't know what's happening but I hope Justie's okay!_ '

My face right now. Enough said. Seriously, since when did Indy start calling him "Justie"? More importantly, how did they get to the concert in less than ten sentences? Is that even chronologically possible?

' _Indy what's happening now?_ '

' _They say he's dead. He can't be dead! Not Justie!_ '

…

…

FUCK! WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS?! HE CAN'T HAVE DIED JUST BECAUSE I WROTE HIS NAME ONTO A PIECE OF PAPER! THIS ISN'T LOGIC! THIS CAN'T BE REAL! Alright, calm down, just... ask for clarification.

' _Indy, what exactly did you see? Do you know how he died?_ '

' _They say he just_ _suddenly clutched onto his chest and flopped onto the ground, as if his… wait, why do you care about any of this?_ '

A heart attack. He died of a heart attack. I can't hold myself in anymore.

'NO FUCKING WAY!' I scream. I run downstairs to see if there's any snacks I can bring back up to my room. Food usually calms me down. Shit, the pantry is empty aside from a bag of potato chips. That'll have to do.

I didn't kill him. This is impossible. This has to be impossible. No, it's just a coincidence. I… what if this is real? What if the fictional, magical, definitely-not-real item that I had always longed to obtain was in my hands right now? Well, one way or another I need to know for sure.

If I test the Death Note a second time I will know for certain that this this actually has its powers. But this time I need to see the results myself. In the Manga/Anime, Light was lucky enough to conveniently be at the scene of a biker gang attack, but luck like that probably won't come to me. No, I need to deliberately set up a situation where I see the person die with my own eyes.

Wait, I have an idea. I open up the notebook and read the instructions. I probably should have read them before I killed anyone. Well, there are more instruction pages here than in Light's book, I can tell that much… in total it has XXIX pages of rules. That's, what, 29?

Let's see… Ah, yes, it says here that, after writing the cause of death, details of the death should be written in the next 6 minutes and 40 seconds. So that means I can have de facto control over someone before they die. This should make things easier.

So, I suppose I'll spend the rest of this evening going over the rules of the Death Note, seeing if they match up with those in the Manga, and wonder how I am acting so calm about this. I mean, if this is real, then I just killed someone! Then again, this isn't exactly the first time. I take another potato chip out of the bag.

 **(Lauren's POV)**

'Just take Tom and run!'

'We're not leaving you here!'

'Dammit for once in your life can you just listen to me?!'

*BANG!*

My eyes snap open, to be met with almost complete darkness, only lit by the stars and light pollution visible through my window. I turn my head over to see a familiar white-haired boy standing next to my bed.

'What… time… is it?'

'It's just past 4AM. I heard you were panicking in your sleep so I came over here. Here, water should make you feel better,' he states, handing me the half-full glass.

'Nah, that's fine, I'm not thirsty… Tom, did I wake you up?'

'No, I actually just got home. 'Little time for rest when my skillset is in such high demand.'

For those who don't know, Tom runs an illegal yet profitable IT service for various high-ranking organizations ranging from the mafia to the Common Ground Movement. He's by far the most talented hacker I know, and even at the age of 13 his skills are completely unparalleled. Granted, doing the intellectual dirty work of criminals isn't very justifiable, but I know he's a kind-hearted person who needs money for all his… come to think of it, what does he do with his accumulated money? Does he just use it all on his video games? That wouldn't surprise me.

'My latest customer gave me my hardest challenge yet, you see. He asked that I make his computer completely immune to all possible kinds of spying, surveillance or tracking. Then he also asked that I make a custom-designed voice scrambler for him. All in all, it took quite some time, but I'm glad that I'm done.'

'You're only a kid. You shouldn't let people work you to death like that.'

'Look, I know this is all way too much work for someone my age, and I know dad would literally murder me if he found out what I was doing, but in the end, at least I have this,', he says, holding up a hundred-dollar bill. He's right, if our dad found out that Tom was associating himself with criminals he wouldn't hesitate to kill him, or at the very least make him wish he had been killed. Especially since our dad happens to be the chief of the Australian NPA.

'So what were you dreaming about, Lauren?' Tom asks, pulling out my chair to sit on.

'It was… it was nothing.'

'You don't have to hide anything from me. Was it the day that mum… well...'

'I'm sorry, I just… I still feel it was my fault that she died.'

'Lauren, don't say that. There's no way either of us could've prepared for that.'

'Letting someone die through inaction is no different from killing them directly, and there had to have been something I could've done.'

'Look, no matter what you did, she would've died. You were only, what, twelve? And if it weren't for you, that other kid would've died too.'

He's right. Just thinking about that boy, that masked vigilante who rescued us and who comforted us after seeing our mum had died, is enough to cheer me up. And I'll never forget the look on his face when he said those words:

'Please, I only did what was right. No more, no less.'


	4. Confirmation

**(Chris' POV)**

I hate history class. Well, I don't always hate history class, I like it when we talk about modern history, but anything prior to that seems like little more than a trivial topic with no real-world value. In any case, this is where I'm stuck until lunchtime, and right now I have more important things on my mind anyway.

Yesterday I appeared to have done something which is scientifically, logically and physically impossible. I killed someone by writing their name down in a notebook. I need to know for certain that it wasn't just a coincidence that the guy died of a heart attack when I wrote his name down, and that the Death Note actually works. If today's experiment is a success, the chance of my Death Note being fake is practically zero.

'Chris, can you translate this next sentence from English to English?' Mr Iesnes asks. Standing up, I reply.

'The rocky mountains are mountains made of rock.' I then sit back in my seat.

'Thank you. Now let us all reflect on that sentence for a moment.'

What was I thinking about? Oh yeah, the Death Note. So yesterday what I did was I looked up another serial killer in the area, and I wrote his name in the Death Note, specifically saying:

 _Deustcher Nyan – Heart Attack_

 _After getting in a car chase trying to escape the police, drives past Forbes High School five times starting at 1:45PM, before parking on the other side of the road, getting out of the car, and dropping dead._

This way, I will know for certain if this Death Note is for real, and if I can control people with it. But that's not the only thing that's bothering me. When Bieber died I acted as if I'd never killed before, like it was all new to me. Perhaps it was because he was the first person I've killed on my own without following orders, like back in old times. Ah yes, the old mafia vigilante corps. The most fucked up two years of my childhood.

So now I'm just watching the clock. 1:29PM, and the seconds hand is at 20, 21, 22, 23, 24…

This is the longest 40 seconds of my life…

I look over to see Alexander Rockley silently and carefully pickpocketing from the kid in front of him. Perhaps Alex should have been my second test. After all, he's the most dickish person in our year group, and most of us would immediately benefit from his disappearance. And it would be easy for me to witness his death right away.

No. I shouldn't kill anybody I have a personal motivation against, since that would make me a suspect if someone were to find out about all this. And while people like him are a burden to the world at first, they can change relatively easily.

1:30!

'Okay class, you can pack up and head off to lunch now.' I silently slide all my books into my bag, buy something small at the cafeteria, and sit down at one of the tables. I still have some time before my test takes place.

'You look awfully happy about something today, Chris.' I hear from the other side of the table.

'Oh, do I?' I reply, my green eyes meeting his grey-brown.

'Did you get laid?'

'Connor, is that seriously all you people think about these days? In any case, I'm not even going to be legally old enough for that for another… a bit over a month.'

'Oh, you're counting down too?'

'What? No, I just calculated it now.'

'Well, is there any girl in particular you're thinking of?'

'Of course no-'

'CHRIIIIIS!' I hear behind me.

Connor giggles. 'I suppose that answers my question.'

'It does not!'

'I'm sorry, did I interrupt you?' The girl now standing next to me says.

Kallet. Kallet Vimerica. Remember how I said Viper was the second hottest girl in the school? Well, according to various anonymous opinion polls, here's our number one. But just because she's rich, popular and… hard to maintain eye contact with… doesn't mean she's some kind of sweet little DereDere. No, behind that veil of seductiveness is a horrifyingly mean person who seems to absorb energy from the suffering of those she doesn't like.

There's even rumors that she's directly murdered some of the girls that her previous boyfriends dumped her for, but I doubt that. It's not that she wouldn't know how to get away with it, it just doesn't sound like something even she would do.

'No, Kallet, we were just talking.' I reply to her.

'Well, Chris, I was thinking… there's a one direction concert on Saturday, and as president of the student council I get free tickets to those sorts of things. And it would be such a shame if this one were to go to waste, don't you agree?'

'Kallet, what part of "It's over" don't you get?' So yeah, up until two weeks ago I was her latest boyfriend, before I'd had enough of her bullshit and dumped her. But she doesn't give up easily.

'Oh come on Chris! It'll be fun!'

'I'll never have "fun" with someone who psychologically bullies and manipulates people for her own needs. In any case, I've got things to do.' I quickly leave the table.

'Wait, Chris, what do you have to do?' Connor asks.

'I meant… I just need to use the bathroom.'

Following that confrontation I quickly dart around the corner to see a familiar sight, one of the openings to the ventilation system that runs through most parts of the school. For years, people from all year groups have been using the network of ventilation tunnels to move around the school when the halls were too crowded to walk through or they didn't want anyone to see where they were going. In my case it's the latter, since the front parking lot is out of bounds during lunchtime.

Climbing into the shaft, I see that it's a bit smaller than I remember. Then again, I haven't had to use it in quite some time. A few meters through I see something taped to the side of the wall, and I turn on my phone and use its light to see what it is. It's a map. Someone actually made a map of the ventilation system and taped it up here. Huh. I already remember my way around though, so I continue to walk past.

I finally locate the exit and appear in the bushes of the front parking lot and hide in them. And then I wait. I take a mental note of the appearance of each car that drives past. Red sports car, grey 4WD, Blue Ute, Red sports car, White land rover, Black Mercedes, Red sports car… If Deustcher's anywhere here it has to be that sports car. I watch as he drives past a fourth time, and then a fifth, and then I wait.

The car finally pulls up on the other side of the road. Oh my god, is this real? Is my… am I… That's him. That's him getting out of the car now. Oh my fucking god. Any second now…

And at that moment, he clutches his chest, tries and fails to scream, and… drops dead… right in front of my eyes.

THIS… PROVES IT! THE DEATH NOTE REALLY WORKS! A POWER THOUGHT TO BE BANISHED TO THE REALM OF FICTION IS NOW MINE!

I really need to get my breathing under control. If anyone were here they'd probably think I was having an asthma attack. Okay Chris, calm down. Seriously, calm the fuck down!

So… with this notebook… I can actually do… something. I'm not sure what. Well, I should be heading back now, I don't want anyone to be suspicious of my disappearance.

I scramble back through the vents and within a minute I'm back at the table.

'Alright, did I miss anything?' As usual Connor is the first to respond.

'Not really, we were just talking about which one of us would die first in a zombie apocalypse.'

'Well, zombies only eat brains so you should all be safe.'

'Fair point, Chris.' This is one of my favorite things about Australia: You can usually say exactly what you're thinking and no-one will give a shit.

So the rest of the day goes as normal, with me formulating plans in my head about exactly what I'm going to do. After school I get on the train and turn on my phone to see if there's anything new in the news.

' _Another 2 bodies have been discovered in a landfill site near Canberra. Authorities say the two teenagers were likely murdered using some kind of serrated weapon…_ '

' _North Korea has conducted their sixth nuclear test today, with an estimated explosive energy twice that of the bomb dropped on Hiroshima in 1945. Japan, South Korea and the United States have already condemned this action…_ '

' _Hundreds in Iraq have been killed in a series of suicide bombings performed by the Islamic State. The exact number of casualties is unknown at this time, but it may well be over 9000…_ '

Like I said, these stories just blur together. Start looking around you, and all you see and hear about are people the world would be better off without. Murderers, rapists, pedophiles, terrorists, dictators, war criminals, propagandists, and several more titles immediately come to mind. This world is a horrifying mess, and with this notebook, I can try to change things. I… I will use the Death Note to save the world! I can do it… no, I'm the only one that can do it! At least, the only one that can do it who currently has a Death Note. There are probably lots of people out there more qualified for this than me, but they don't have a Death Note.

After getting off the bus, I walk home, with dozens of ideas racing through my head. Can I do what my fictional childhood hero did? Or more importantly, is he fictional? If the Death Note is real, perhaps that means the characters from the manga/anime are as well? Nah, that's impossible. Then again, so is the Death Note.

I suddenly snap out of my thoughts to open the front door.

'Mum, I'm home!'

'Good afternoon Chris! Would you like something to eat?'

'No, I'm fine. Anyway, I've got a lot of studying to do, so try not to interrupt me, okay mum?'

'Okay, anything for my little boy!'

'I'm 15, mum. I think you can stop calling me a "little boy" now.'

'Hey Chris. How was school?' I hear from the room directly opposite mine as I open my door.

'It was fine, Indy. Hey, can you make sure you don't interrupt me in my room? I have a lot of studying to do.'

'Okay bro!'

Indy and I kind of have a mutual agreement where she helps me out socially while I help her out with some of her school subjects, in particular the ones she doesn't care about as much as I do and hence doesn't put as much effort into. It also means she can be a bit overprotective at times.

I lock the door behind me, drop my school bag beside my desk and take out all my books… including the Death Note. What I said was partially true, but it isn't school I'm going to be studying for.

 **(Rugo's POV)**

It has been some time since I left the mountains. Having other gods of death to talk to is a good relief, even if most of them don't feel the spectrum of human emotions that I can relate to. In any case, it's been three days. I should get going to see which human, if any, has picked up the Death Note.

'Umm, Dimina?', I ask to the familiar Shinigami in front of me, my long-time ally and the closest thing I have to family, her red hair and angel-like wings glinting of the light from a shard of reflective material above the portal.

'Yes?'

'Listen, I lied about earlier. The real reason I've come here is…'

… Oh god how am I going to tell her this? We've been through hell together before, literally and metaphorically, and for the first time in decades she won't be able to protect me like she always has.

'Yes?'

'… Three days ago I dropped my Death Note into the human world.'

From the look in her eyes I'm not sure if she's pissed off at me or simply shocked.

'Rugo, why… YOU SON OF A BITCH! WHY THE FUCK DID YOU DO THAT?! YOU COULD GET YOURSELF KILLED DOWN THERE!'

…

…

Wait, is she… crying? I… I don't think I've ever seen her cry before, at least not since I died. Oh god what have I done? I don't want to see her upset, I-

'Why… why did you have to do that? I don't want to lose you again, Rugo. I don't want to see you die a second time.'

'Dimina, don't worry about me. I'll be fine. Name one time I haven't known how to handle a tough situation.'

'You want me to write a list?' she says, opening her Death Note with a pen in her hand.

'No, I didn't mean that literally!'

'Rugo, it's now the 27th of October in the year 2016. Everything is different now! How are you going to handle it?'

'Don't worry Dimina. I won't die again. I promise.'

'That doesn't even come close to answering my question.'

'Look, I know it's risky and all, but this is my world. It's the world where I grew up, and the world that I saved. And I think it needs me again.'

'What makes you say that?'

'It's… just a feeling. But it's a strong one.'

Before I can say anything else, Dimina embraces me in her arms, and whispers into my ear.

'If you think it is the right thing to do, return to your world. And in case I don't get another chance, I just want to say...'

She's whispering too quietly for me to hear the rest of what she says.


	5. Ally

**(Chris' POV)**

 _Luis Alfredo Garavito Cubillos_

 _Pedro Alonso López_

 _Pedro Rodrigues Filho_

 _Gary Leon Ridgway_

 _Joan Vila Dilme_

 _Donald Harvey_

 _Robert Bales_

 _Fernando Hernandez Leyva_

 _Henry Okah_

 _Hibatullah Akhundzada_

 _Abubakar Shekau_

 _Futoshi Matsunaga_

 _Junko Ogata_

 _Abu Mohammad al-Julani_

 _Ebikabowei Victor-Ben_

 _Serhiy Fedorovich Tkach_

 _Satoshi Uematsu_

 _Qasim al-Raymi_

As I'm writing my phone buzzes and I pull it out of my pocket. It's a text from Viper.

' _So what do you think is happening?_ '

' _With what?_ ' I reply.

' _Surely you must've heard by now, that criminals all over the world are dying of heart attacks?_ '

' _Oh, yeah I've heard._ '

' _So what do you think is happening?_ '

' _Well, I think they're all dying of heart attacks._ '

' _No shit Sherlock! No seriously._ '

' _Well, to be honest I haven't come up with any solid theory on what's happening yet_ ' I reply as I continue to write.

' _It's really starting to throw a wrench into the mafia's plans._ ' Well what'd you expect? A minute passes and I get no reply, so I put my phone back and finish filling out the page.

Okay, that it for today. 50 names. I must say, this is a lot easier than I-

 **'** **GUTEN TAG!'**

'AHH WHAT THE FUCK?!' I reactively try to jump backwards, tipping my chair over and falling to the floor.

'Seriously, you shouldn't sneak up on people like that. You almost scared me. Would it really kill you to knock first? Who are you, anyway?'

Looking up, I can get a good look of who it was who had startled me. I can't quite tell where his coat ends and his wings begin, if that even is a coat he's wearing. He has dark hair and light skin, and looks like he's not much older than I am. Then again, looks can be deceiving sometimes.

'Wait, so you were surprised when I came in without knocking, but you aren't surprised that A FUCKING SHINIGAMI IS STANDING RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU?!'

'Well yeah, I figured this belonged to a Shinigami so I'm not surprised.' Although I am surprised that he looks so human, unlike the Ryuk or Rem that I was expecting.

'You know what, that was an awkward introduction, how about we start over. I am Rugo, a god of death.'

'I am Chris, a teenage okatu.'

…

…

'So you found my Death Note!'

'No its, no its mine.'

'No, that Death Note you are holding originally belonged to me.' Well, looks like there's no point arguing. I bring my chair back upright and sit down.

'So, I assume you want it back?'

'What? No, I've just come down to Earth to watch what happens. It can be awfully uneventful in the Shinigami realm...'

'Wait seriously?'

'Ja.'

'So just to be clear, this device that I now hold in my hand contains more destructive potential than every nuclear weapon on the planet combined, and you're letting me keep it?'

'Ja.' Without thinking I jump up and restrain the Shinigami in a hug.

'OMG YOU'RE SO NICE! THANK YOU SO MUCH SHINIGAMI!'

'Please, just call me Rugo.'

'Okay.'

'And don't get too excited, I'm not going to help you any more than necessary.'

'So like Ryuk?'

'What?'

'Wait, you haven't heard of him?'

'Umm… I don't think so. Who's he?'

'Well, Rugo, here in the human world we have a popular manga and anime series called " _Death Note_ ". Have you heard of it?'

'No, but I assume it involves a Death Note.' Well thanks, Captain Obvious.

'Well, to summarize, it's a story about a Japanese boy who gains a Death Note from a Shinigami, and who attempts to rid the world of evil, kind of like a cross between Jesus and Batman.'

'Wait, I thought humans didn't know about Death Notes or Shinigami.'

'We do, but only as fictional topics. Of course, this,' I reply, holding up the notebook in my right hand ', proves otherwise, as does your existence. Still, I am curious about how this exact phenomenon could be described in a Japanese story.'

'Perhaps another human gained a Death Note and wrote up a story around it without actually using it themselves.'

'That's probably the most likely option. If it's true it must mean that the existence of the Death Note is known to the original creators of the manga, at the very least. They could become a problem.'

'So, enough about that, what are _you_ doing with the Death Note?'

'Why, isn't it obvious? I'm going to follow in the footsteps of my fictional counterpart, and save the world!'

'Umm, what?'

'Riddle me this, Rugo…'

'I hate riddles.'

'Look, the justice system society uses is broken. No matter how horrible you are or what you do, if you know the loopholes, you can get away with just about anything. Take Hillary Clinton for example. Her crimes should be landing her in prison for the rest of her life, if not giving her the death penalty, yet she's still set to be America's next president. Or Benjamin Netanyahu, who uses religion and past events as an excuse to perform mass genocide and various other atrocities on his nation's religious and ethnic minorities, and call anyone who points out said atrocities to be anti-semitic.'

'Huh…' Something I said makes him twitch slightly, but I can't tell what.

'The point is, I plan to rid the world of this evil, to tear down the veil of lies, deception and propaganda that so many wrongdoers hide behind, and replace it with one of transparency and true, hopefully incorruptible justice. I will create a new world where peace and prosperity will replace fear and hatred… and I…'

'Yes?' With the sun shining behind me and epic music starting in the background, I answer.

'I WILL BECOME THE GUARDIAN OF THE NEW WORLD!'

'Oh, step back bitches, we've got a wannabe badass over here!'

'Really all I want to do is create a world that isn't completely controlled and overrun by evil people.'

'So you want to be the only evil person left?'

'I understand that many people consider the term "evil" to refer to any act of killing another human. If that's the case, then… To defeat evil, I shall become an even greater evil.'

My explanation is cut short by a knock at the door.

'Hey, can you do my science homework for me? I've got a party I need to go to in like five minutes.'

Under gut instinct I assume Rugo will be invisible to Indy as if he were a Shinigami from _Death Note_ , and open the door.

'Hey, Indy, what's the subject?'

'It's just molecular genetics.' The fact she doesn't notice Rugo seems to prove my theory.

'Well, for that I can help you out, but I'm not doing it for you.'

'Fine,' she replies, sitting on my bed next to the Shinigami.

'Oh, Chris, I forgot to mention that if anyone touches the Death Note _that you've fucking left open on your desk_ , they'll be able to see me and you'll be found out.'

Oh shit I forgot about that! But how can I move the notebook without Indy seeing? I'll have to get her out of here.

'Hey, Indy, I think mum's going to vacuum in here soon so can we sort this out in your room?'

'Oh, sure.' Well that was easy enough.

A few minutes pass as Indy tricks me into doing her homework for her. I can't exactly blame her, since she's got her HSC and all which is probably taking up her time and energy. Reentering my room I lock the door behind me again.

'Okay, you're back! So what were you saying earlier?'

'Well, Rugo,' I continue, remembering his name, 'my main task for the last three days has been to set up a system of crime-recording websites such as news sites and databases from all over the internet, as well as a working schedule to go through them all each day. I'm going to keep the number of names I write at a constant fifty per day, to make things easier to keep track of and because it was the initial killing speed of my fictional counterpart.'

'Counterpart? Like from that _Death Note_ thing you mentioned?'

'Yes… actually, Rugo, since our current situation parallels the series so closely, perhaps you should read through the manga and watch the anime yourself to get all up-to-date on everything. I should probably re-read and re-watch it too, just to make sure I'm not missing anything important.'

'Well, I suppose I don't exactly have anything else to do. So I'm guessing you have a plan for what happens when the world realizes that someone's doing all this?'

'Yup. I'll even try to get myself a cool nickname… Kira.'

'Kira? Is that from the thing as well?'

'Yup. And since _Death Note_ 's popularity per capita is highest in Japan, I made sure that most of the names I wrote on my first two days of killing were Japanese, so there's no way the connection won't become blindingly obvious-'

'Oh, by the way, are you going to eat that?'

I look down to see a potato chip in my left hand. Have I been holding it this entire time?

'Wait, so you can eat potato chips?'

'There are only 3 ways a shinigami can die in the human world: by running out of lifespan, by extending the lifespan of a human they have feelings for, or by killing a human by means other than a Death Note. So really we can eat just about anything. Oh, and speaking of capabilities, why aren't you changing the death conditions of any of these people? All you're doing is writing names.'

Tossing the potato chip at Rugo, I answer.

'Because I have no reason to. If I don't specify the cause of death, that person dies of a Heart Attack. So at the rate I'm going at, people will realize that someone's behind all this. I'm going to make the whole world know I'm here, that somebody is passing righteous judgement on those who cannot belong if peace and stability are to exist. And with the knowledge of this anonymous figure, people simply won't commit crimes anymore, at first since they won't want me to kill them and then later on when society itself readjusts to prevent criminal activity from taking place. And, over time, the world will begin to change into a better place. In theory at least.

But you have made a valid point, Rugo. While the worst terrorists, murderers and other violent criminals are dying of Heart Attacks, less hated but equally vile burdens to society such as non-violent religious extremists and pro-war propagandists will be silently removed with illnesses and accidents. And after a long time, people who have changed their ways will do so subconsciously, unintentionally. What was once enforced by my power will become a natural way of life, and eventually the global crime rate will drop to the point where I won't even need to kill anymore. The only people in the world will be good people with good morals and good intentions… umm, Rugo?'

The look on his face has changed significantly, and I can't tell if he's pissed off or just acting serious.

'Chris, Kid, there's something I want you to be aware of here. Make no mistake, more than a few wrongdoers are going to die before the world starts to change, and more than a few wrongly accused innocents will die as well. Their blood's on your hands. Yes they are criminals, they will be prepared to die. But remember, every one of them is a flesh-and-blood person. Every one of them has dreams, hopes, fears, every one of them has a soul. They're not pawns, they're people. Some of them living together like family since their childhoods. This may well be the end of them. Whole families wiped out in moments. Whatever you think your mission is here, you're first and foremost concern is making sure their deaths mean something. Whatever happens you keep that lodged in your mind. Take everything that comes with deadly seriousness.'

'Right. Let's do this.'

 **(Ashton's POV)**

There is a very high level of tension and anxiety at the UN Security Council meeting. Founded shortly after the end of WWII, the organization was a branch of the UN designed to maintain global peace and security. As I enter the room I see the circular table, with representatives from 19 countries sitting in their positions around it. As I'm representing the United States, by default I get the comfiest chair.

From the moment I enter the room I can see how stressed everyone is. Usually we never have anything to talk about at these meetings, and if we do we can just wave it off with "sanctions" or "foreign aid" or something. But now, for the first time ever, we have an enemy that was attacking all of us, and that we can't strike back at. Things are still pretty normal though, and by the time I enter the room, several nations had already started blaming one another, just as usual.

'I swear we have not done nothing!' voices India's representative, having already been accused by Britain.

'Japan?' the British representative asks. We always just referred to people by the countries they were representing so we didn't have to remember names.

'We have not performed the killings!'

'China?'

'这不是我们的'

'Well it's bloody 'ell not ours!' Britain says, before sitting back down.

'I corfess.' Comes a quiet voice from the back of the room. Britain immediately stands back up again.

'Yes North Korea, confess to what?!'

'The kirrer is ours!' And just like that, everyone had just burst out into laughter.

'Þú ert svo sterkur að getur reynt að ná berjast við Sealand!'

'What is so funni?!' And that's when my trusty Secretary of Defense speaks up.

'Alright North Korea, you've had your laugh, now sit down!'

'This has to be Iran!' Saudi Arabia exclaims. 'This killer has decimated both Al-Nusra and ISIL, effectively guaranteeing Assad's victory in the Syrian Civil War! Only Iran would do something like that! This must be a declaration of war!'

'Fine, so let's blow up Iran!' expresses Israel (with a somewhat satisfactory look on his face).

'Бред сивой кобылы!'

'Sorry to interrupt, but that can't be the case,' comes another voice, this time from Canada. 'The way these cardiac arrests are being performed suggests that this is more likely to be a corporate stunt than a government attack. So instead of thinking Iran…' Canada briefly gives a disappointed look at Israel, 'we should be thinking… Google?'

'Fine, then let's blow up Google!' Israel concludes, gaining looks from half the room before getting a response from China.

'你西方国家是如此不成熟-' I should say something before this completely derails.

'EVERYONE SHUT UP!' Never mind, someone's beat me to it.

'Germany?!' Everyone replies at once, locking their eyes onto his.

'WE'VE CALLED THIS CONFERENCE TO SOLVE ONE SINGLE PRESENT-DAY PROBLEM, NOT TO FIGHT ABOUT THE PROBLEMS OF OUR PAST, AND SINCE I'M THE ONLY ONE HERE WHO SEEMS TO KNOW HOW TO RUN A MEETING, WE'LL FOLLOW MY RULES FROM HERE ON OUT! NINE MINUTES EACH FOR SPEECHES, NO OFF-TOPIC CHIT-CHAT, NO INTERRUPTING AND ABSOLUTELY NO GOING OVER THE TIME LIMIT! NOW IF YOU WANT TO TALK RAISE YOUR HAND, BUT DO SO IN A WAY THAT DOES NOT MOCK ANYTHING TO DO WITH MY COUNTRY'S PAST!' Well, I better speak up now. I raise my hand.

'GERMANY RECOGNIZES HIS FRIEND AMERICA!' I stand up and clear my throat.

'US intelligence has come to the conclusion this was not done by any government or corporation. Now the public calls this thing Kira but I call it a violation of our civil liberties, not to mention international law.'

'Then let's blow up Kira! ... What's Kira?'

'WHAT DID I SAY ABOUT INTERRUPTING WHILE SOMEONE ELSE IS SPEAKING?!' Out the corner of my eye I can see several countries trying to suppress their laughter.

'To answer your question, Israel, we don't know who or what,' I answer, 'but its killing thousands of people all over the world. Now these may all be criminals but they are still human lives, many of which are vital for our underground political system! So, what the hell do y'all plan to do about it?'

Everyone in the room just sits there nervously, looking around to see if anyone has any answers.

Then I continue. 'Well it just so happens that we 'ave a little trick up our own sleeve! Meet… L.'

And just like that, the screen behind me turns on to show… the UNSC's Skype page.

'What the hell is this?! I thought we'd have everything set up already!' I state angrily to my Secretary of Defense.

As he is busy setting up a skype call with L, I continue. 'As I was saying, L is our greatest asset in this event. He's supposedly the greatest detective in the world and although his real name and identity are unknown and he plans to keep it that way, he already has the President's full trust and he's agreed to lead this case on his own terms.'

And just like that, the familiar sound of a pending skype call blurts out from behind me, quickly followed by the voice of the only sensible person I'd heard all day.

'In case America hasn't said it already I am the world's top detective I am number one I am the most badass son of a bitch you'll ever live to see! … I am L!'

'I've never heard of you' says Poland.

'Me neither' Germany adds.

'Er það ekki bara bréf?'

L sighs. 'I try. I fucking try… Now before I begin I would like to thank both the International Committee for Universal Protection, and the President of the United States, for giving me their full support.'

'Well he certainly sounds trustworthy,' I hear from Japan, who's quickly interrupted by Britain.

'There's no way some hero will single-handedly-'

'THIS IS WHY YOU DIDN'T GET MY NOBEL PEACE PRIZE!'

'Switzerland WTF?'

'Now tell them what you told me earlier.'

'Well, we all know that there's been a string of murders among the world's worst criminals and terrorists, or as America calls some of them, "moderate rebels".'

'But has it been verified as murder?' Germany asks.

'En effet je ne le trouve très peu probable, il est pas comme cela est une sorte de l'anime ou quelque chose.'

'How could dozens of Heart Attack deaths in the span of a few days be a coincidence? Of course its murder! Seriously France, just go back to making white flags or whatever it is you do these days. But the question is, who could possibly murder that many people over such a wide area simultaneously? My first guess was that this was a carefully orchestrated mass assassination carried out by a large organization, but that wouldn't make sense, since the killings are taking place all over the geopolitical spectrum, with no visible bias at all.'

'Why don't we first ascertain whether this is really murder, or just coincidence?'

'First of all, don't interrupt me while I'm talking, Britain! Like I was saying, the case in front of us is unprecedented in scope and difficulty, and is a monstrous crime of mass murder that must be stopped at all costs, and to state otherwise shall be considered treason! Now in order to solve it, I request the full cooperation of police forces worldwide, with a resolution to that affect passed at the UN General Assembly meeting tomorrow. This "Kira", as the media calls it, will be caught.'

'What makes you so sure you can catch Kira?'

'Well I got a damn better chance than you Poland! Oh yeah, and before I go, I request the participation of the Australian police in particular, also that is where I will set up a base of operations.' This last bit has me completely off guard.

'What the hell are you talkin' about L?! When we agreed to this I assumed it would be all stars and stripes!'

'Please, Ash, the reason I request this is that I strongly believe that Kira is Australian.'

'What the hell makes you think that?'

'I believe I will be able to answer that question very soon.'

'Dammit L, I don't have time for waiting around!'

'Well, you're going to have to, Mr Carter. That is all for today.'

And just like that, L ends the skype call, leaving all us in the room unsure of what to do.


	6. Declaration

**(Chris' POV)**

'I gotta say, you seem really dedicated to this,' I hear from Rugo, who's sitting on my bed eating from a bag of chocolates.

'Why shouldn't I be? I mean, this is a serious job I have to do, and I don't have much time to waste. It's too loud and distracting for me to sleep in class, so I can't push my bedtime too far, and I can only reduce the amount of homework and assignments I do by so much without getting in trouble.'

'Well, yeah, but it doesn't sound very time-consuming to write names.'

'Rugo, every evening I have to look through all my news websites to see which new criminals have popped up, and then use all the information I can get to ensure that there's been no false accusation. And then I need to look through the archives of all said websites, as well as additional sources such as Wikipedia, to see criminals that did their thing before I became Kira, or ones I've missed, and repeat the process. And I need to keep up the pace of writing fifty names each day, to make things easier to keep track of.'

For the last four days I have been getting to know my Shinigami a lot better. He may appear demonic in appearance (like most Shinigami I assume), but he's very strong-hearted, very efficient at what little work I have given to him, and he knows many different wurst recipes. When I am asleep or busy he has spent his time reading the _Death Note_ manga, and together we have been watching the anime, to better understand our situation with so many parallels to the fictional story. I have occasionally been surprised by what he does and doesn't know about the human world, and based on how much he's told me about his past (almost nothing other than a few vague hints) I can assume that he is much older than he looks.

His name is Rugo. He will not confirm nor deny if that's his full name, but it doesn't seem to be a problem since "Rugo" on its own is an extremely unique name which I doubt I'll ever see in someone else. When I first met him I expected him to be neutral like Ryuk, but he does seem to be interested in what I'm doing and what I hope to accomplish. We've had many intellectual conversations on the topic, and it's almost as if he cares about the human world as well.

So right now I'm on my laptop, looking through my news feed to look for criminals and to see if anything else important is happening right now. I'm also closely checking online communities like those of the ICPO or _Death Note_ 's reddit to see if anyone has picked up on the heart attacks yet. Already there is some speculation on the latter, but no official crime organization has said anything yet… alright, forget what I just said.

'Rugo? Come look at this.'

As Rugo comes closer I start the news report video.

' _Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen! Following the deaths of over 200 criminals around the world, the International Committee for Universal Protection has joined forces with the UN Security Council and General Assembly to open a case investigating the deaths and the possibility of a killer behind them._ '

'Wait, you've killed over 200 people already? I mean, I've seen many cases of Death Notes being dropped into the human world, but I haven't seen anyone write so many names so fast.'

'Well maybe that's because they're STILL READING THE FUCKING 29 PAGES OF RULES, RUGO!'

' _The case is already being discussed with careful observation, and despite the extremely unusual circumstances surrounding the deaths, the strongest theory being put forward is that an individual or organization is responsible. And in order to centralize control of the investigation, full command of the world's police forces and investigation units will be given to a single detective, who world leaders including Barack Obama, Angela Merkel, 11 Jinping and Benjamin Netanyahu have endorsed as the world's greatest individual detective._ '

No way. NO FUCKING WAY!

The world's greatest detective, and the entire world's police forces are at his beckon call? This story doesn't add up. Such extreme measures would only be taken if the world's major powers already established that the deaths were unnatural, and if they already thought of me as a potential threat to those in power. Well, their suspicions are certainly not wrong… but even then, they'd have dozens of super-detectives on the case, not just one. There must be something else going on here.

' _Don't miss tomorrow! At 4:30PM the world's greatest detective will finally show himself to the public in a speech that's sure to surprise anyone who wants to know who is behind these killings! All that and more will be broadcast live on Tomorrow's Today Tonight!_ ' And then the video ends.

'Looks like someone's in trouble,' I hear behind me.

'What makes you say that? Since the beginning I knew this would happen, and I'm fully prepared. I won't make any impulsive moves while we watch the broadcast, if that's what you're worried about.'

'But still, you're basically declaring war on the entire world. And that never works out well.'

'Rugo, how are-'

'CHRIS! INDY!' I hear from downstairs. I open the door slightly to respond.

'Yes, mum?'

'There's ice cream here in case either of you want any!'

'Alright I'm coming down!' Rugo quickly responds.

'Wait, what about your-'

'Ice cream first, world saving later.'

\- 19 hours later -

This is it. The day that, if all goes to plan, I make my debut. The "world's greatest detective" may expect me to make any number of moves during his speech, but I doubt he'll expect me to go this far. I've already written up a script for myself and finished making my makeshift "Kira suit" (Rugo actually helped a lot with the latter), so while I'm just writing down some criminal names while I wait for the broadcast to begin.

'Tell me, Chris, aren't you getting scared from using the Death Note so much?' I swivel my chair around to reply.

'Why should I be?'

'It's just that I've never seen a human so comfortable using one before. But even though you know you're about to be chased by some mysterious detective… doesn't that scare you?'

'What are you talking about? That's what makes it fun!'

'Fun?'

'Yeah, fun.'

'Fun?' Does this Shinigami really not understand what that word means?

'Do you need me to spell it out for you?' I clear my throat, and give the best definition I can.

'F is for Friends who do stuff together, U is for-'

'I know what it means, okay, just… please don't sing, okay? Like, never again.'

'Do you really think I was that-'

' _We interrupt this dialogue to bring you a live, globally televised internet broadcast from the ICUP._ ' It's starting already? Apparently the clock says its 4:30 already. That was quick. The screen switches to a man on a podium, much like the one POTUS makes his speeches on. The man himself looks pale, and has blond hair going about halfway down his neck. I can't see a single wrinkle in his suit or tie.

'Hello. I am Lewis Larsson, more commonly known as L, and I am the sole person able to mobilize police forces in every relevant country worldwide. This is not a trap.'

Wow, I seriously wasn't expecting them to do everything exactly the same as in the anime, even the alias is the same! Like seriously, do they really think they can replicate the exact same scene and hope I don't notice? What do they expect to accomplish here?

'Criminals around the world have been the target of a global killing spree, which has turned into the biggest mass murder case in history. This monstrous crime must be stopped at all costs. 'Kira', as the perpetrator is commonly known, will be caught. I guarantee it.'

Yup. Totally a trap. Still, without writing a name I'll write down some specific death conditions in case I'm wrong with my assumption.

'He guarantees you'll be caught, Chris.'

'Yeah, well so far I'm hearing nothing to suggest his guarantee is anything more than an empty threat. In any case, we both know what happens next in _Death Note_ and I'm not falling for the same trap as Light did.

'On the contrary, I think this guy is the real thing. Think about it. In this modern world, would the public really support someone if their debut involves using another person as human bait? And the only way this trap could even be set up is if whoever is in charge of the investigation seriously thinks you have the same capabilities as the fictional Kira, and I doubt they'd think that, at least not this early on in the game.'

Rugo has a point. From a logical perspective, this trap would be a PR nightmare regardless of the outcome. I look down at what I've written into the Death Note.

\- _Heart Attack_

 _Does his best to disband the Kira investigation by November 22 after slowly changing his views on the topic. Finally dies painlessly on November 23._

All I'm missing is his name. Now, I need to make a decision. Should I-

'Kira, listen to me. I think I have a pretty good idea of why you're doing this. But what you are doing is wrong. I know how you must feel about our society. There are some good things and some bad, some right things and some wrong. But if you think you can change that, you are gravely mistaken. In the end, you can't change things, and you're no better than the criminals you kill.'

…

…

'Umm, Chris, are you oka-'

'WHAT THE FUCK L!? ARE YOU EVEN LOOKING AT HOW MUCH HAS IMPROVED IN JUST A FEW DAYS SINCE I GOT THIS POWER!? I'M TRYING TO IMPROVE THIS WORLD, WHILE ALL YOU WANT IS TO KEEP THE STATUS QUO! AND THE STATUS QUO IS UNACCEPTABLE! I CANNOT JUST STAND BY AS THE WORLD-'

'Chris, calm down!'

'OKAY, Okay, but I am going to get rid of this asshole detective.'

'You know, if you're going to be like this every time someone goes against you, perhaps-'

'Gimme a break, this is the first time I've been publicly denounced in front of hundreds of millions of people. And I'm still getting used to even being Kira in the first place!'

Rugo looks over my shoulder to see what I have written.

 _Lewis Larsson -_ _Heart Attack_

 _Does his best to disband the Kira investigation by November 22 after slowly changing his views on the topic. Finally dies painlessly on November 23._

'Well, we won't see him die but that's fine. Let's just watch the rest of the broadcast.'

Lewis, or "L" as he calls himself, is still standing on the- wait, if this is a trap then he'll die in less than 40 seconds, right? Because not only would he have no actual control over the investigation, but if he's on death row then he'll probably be dead long before the 23rd. And if the specified situation can't happen, the default death scenario is a heart attack after 40 seconds. So ironically, right now his death would be the worst possible scenario for me.

'Police worldwide have launched a coordination under my…' At that moment, the man clutches his chest and collapses.

...

...

'I fucked up.'

'Yeah, you fucked up.'

'Well it was your idea for me to write down his name!'

'Heh, oops.'

I turn my attention back to the screen, which is now filled with a black letter L over a white background.

' _Well, well, well. This was rather intriguing, Kira._ '

So this is the real "L", huh?

' _I must say, I never expected everything to go so smoothly. Kira, in case you haven't figured it out already, Lewis Larsson, the man you just saw drop dead, was a convicted criminal on the death penalty. His arrest and conviction were kept absolutely secret from the media and the internet, and even you have been unable to kill those kinds of criminals. I mean, surely you know about "it" by now, so why didn't you see the trap immediately? Or did you try to do something differently, and fail? Or are you really this dedicated to acting out your part?_ '

What does he mean by "It"? Is he referring to _Death Note_? He must be.

' _Oh, and if you didn't notice the giant letter L on the screen, I should tell you that I'm the real L, and I am 80% sure I exist. So come on! Kill me if you can!_ '

'AAARGH FUCK YOU L!'

' _What are you waiting for?! Come on! Go ahead and kill me! I'm still here! Can't do it, Kira?!_ '

This is not happening…

' _Oh, it seems, you aren't able to kill me. A bit of a shame actually, my backup plan would've been so fun to watch. So there are people you can't kill. That's a valuable clue. Now I'll give you some information in return. Although it was announced that this internet-wide broadcast was being televised globally, I lied. Actually it was only broadcast in Sydney, Australia. The plan was to broadcast in other areas in turn, ensuring the broadcast isn't leaked out of the targeted regions, but that's no longer necessary. You are in Sydney, Kira. I know where you li-ive! I know where you li-ive_!'

Well, there are nearly five million people in Sydney, so I may still have a shot at getting through this.

' _And, although the police have missed this, your first victim after Justin Bieber was a serial killer who most recently took 12 people hostage in a preschool. His crime, compared to those of your other victims, was not very serious. Moreover, the case was reported only in Australia, nowhere else. That was all the information I needed. Combined with the fact that a majority of your victims were either Australian or Japanese, I knew that you were in Australia! And that your first two victims were nothing more than guinea pigs for testing your powers! We broadcast first to Sydney because it is the city with the highest population in the country, and because both of your first victims died there. I never expected this to work so perfectly, but now, I dare say it will not be so long before I send you to die. Kira, it would interest me greatly to know how you carry out your murders, but I'm a very patient person and that's something I can find out after I catch you!_ '

'Send me to die, you say? L…'

' _Kira…_ '

' ** _I WILL FIND YOU WHEREVER YOU ARE AND I WILL ELIMINATE YOU! I AM… JUSTICE!_** '

'You keep using that word. I don't think it means what you think it means.'

'Shut the fuck up Rugo.'

' _This was fun. We should do it again some time. Well, see ya later!_ '

And just like that, the L overlay disappears and the screen returns to the criminal database I was looking at before.

'Well, Challenge accepted, "L".'

'So you're both trying to find someone you know nothing about, not their name, face or anything else. And whoever is found first is most likely going to die…'

'So this is how it's gonna be? Fine then. Let the games begin.'

'May the odds be ever in your favor.'

'… So, L, huh? I knew something like this would come up, but I never thought it would be the exact same. He has the same alias, the same symbol, the same voice scrambler, the same vibe… coincidence? Of course not. There are only two ways this could happen…'

'And what are they?'

'Scenario one: Inspired by the manga and/or anime when he was younger, L chose to copy him in as many ways as possible. But I find that unlikely.'

'What else could it be?'

'Scenario two: Shortly after finding about Kira, L quickly made the connection to _Death Note_ and knew that choosing the alias 'L' would be a massive intimidation and provocation. I find that that's the most likely scenario, but that also means L must have gone by a different name before. Perhaps his name and face are public knowledge, but he's only known as an ordinary detective with no connection to L. In that case, L could be any known detective in the world!'

'So how are you going to find him?'

'For now I'll just sit back and see what happens, but I'll also look through every major accessible detective database in the world compile a list of everyone that could be L.'

'What if L is completely unknown to the public, like in _Death Note_?'

'If that's the case, then I suppose that'll just make things more interesting. In any case, we've got no time to waste. Let's give our reply.'


	7. Reply

**(Nigel's POV)**

The events of the last few days have been... stressful, to say the least. As chief of the Australian NPA I have seen many murder cases over the years, but something about this feels... different. Perhaps it's because the investiagtion is being led by someone I know nothing about, or perhaps-

At that moment my office door is slammed open by a familiar detective.

'CHEIF BLACKHEART!'

'There's no need to shout, Mungalo. Now what is it?'

'Turn on _Tomorrow's Today Tonight_! Quick, ya don't want to miss this!'

Before I can respond, the agent grabs the remote on my desk and turns on the wide-screen plasma TV that we installed after our budget increases last year. The screen is now showing three people I recognize as the hosts of _Tomorrow's Today Tonight_ , and above them a stylized headline reads:

KIRA'S RESPONSE

TWO TERRIFYING VIDEOS

'In other words, we are being held hostage by Kira and have no choice but to air this video. If we do not broadcast this message, he will kill everyone here at _Tomorrow's Today Tonight_. At the same time, we feel that doing so is our professional duty. I would like to emphasize again that this video is not being broadcast as a hoax or for the purposes of sensationalism, at least not this time.'

Held hostage by Kira? What's going on here?

'Less than one chapter ago, an envelope containing a USB and a handwritten message arrived at this station, adressed to one of our directors. It was, without a shadow of a doubt, sent by Kira. The first tape announced the exact time of death for ten criminals convicted over the last two days. Exactly as predicted, they all died at exactly 6:00PM this evening, of heart attacks. Who besides Kira is capable of carrying out something like this? From this fact, we have concluded that the origin point of this message is none other than Kira himself! Or herself, we don't know Kira's gender.'

If this really is true, they're right. Nobody besides Kira could do that.

'The envelope contained instructions from Kira telling us the air this, the second video, within the hour. We have not viewed this video ourselves, but Kira's instructions state that it will include a message directed at the entire world.'

By now over a dozen officers are staring intently at the screen, with not a single peep coming out of one of-

'This has got to be another one of their fake stories, righ-'

'SHUT UP OKADA! Now, we need to stop this broadcast!'

'Agents Red, Marco, Maes and Clovis are speeding towards the station's headquaters as we speak!'

'Good, good.'

The screen suddenly changes to show what i can only assume is Kira, although his costume exposes not a centimeter of the man himself. The costume seems to consist of a tight dark purple suit, with golden stripes and long, warapped sleeves. Worn over it is a black and gold cloak with a crimson material lining the inside and an enourmous black cape encircling the head, the inside of which seems to be glowing bright red. His cloak seems to be covering something on his suit around wait level, but I can't see what it is. But one of the most visible parts of the entire costume is a spiky black and red helmet, completely hiding Kira's face. Aside from that, a black stylized K is imprinted on his otherwise-white collar. Behind Kira, a large flag covers the entire background, with a white stylized K on a black, featureless background.

' _Attention entire world! It is I, Kira, the one who has begun to eliminate the evils of this Earth! As you are mostly aware by now, I have just been challenged by the world's supposed greatest detective, L, to see if my mission will be one of success or defeat, to see if he can bring me down without being killed himself. So to you, L, I say this: I accept your challenge! And I will not go undefeated! I will prevail, and reshape the world into a utopia free of all crime and war! And to the rest of the world, I say this: Do not fear me, as there is no reason to. I love justice and hate evil. If you have done nothing wrong, you have nothing to fear._

 _But there is only so much I can do, and the actions of the people of the world will play a major part in how well things change. First, I may as well start with the most popular topic regarding violent crime: Gun Control. Now, there are a lot of people, perhaps even a majority, who believe that restricting the civilian population's access to firearms will lower gun violence. But does this hold up in practice? First, let's look at two of the most extreme examples of this. Switzerland and Honduras have roughly the same population, and while Switzerland requires their citizens to own guns, Honduras has outlawed cilivian armament completely. Yet it is Switzerland who has the lowest homicide rate in the entire world, while Honduras has the highest._

 _And we don't even have to look at such distant countries to see similar results. In the UK, gun violence has increased 89% since enacting their gun ban, and here in Australia, Armed robberies, Armed assaults, Home invasions and Firearms homicides have all gone up by 19% or more. So why are we blaming guns for this? After all, when there is a terrorist bombing, we don't blame the bomb, we blame the bomber! And when there's a drunk-driving accident, we don't blame the car, we blame the driver! So why are so many governments, especially in the western world, so focused on disarming their populations...'_

 **(L's POV)**

This is bad. This is really bad. I've watched and read _Death Note_ twice in the last week and I am absolutely certain "Light" didn't do anything like this at all after L's debut. Then again, this Kira is not Light Yagami, and I am not L Lawliet. And what this is showing is that Kira isn't just going to play along and try to replicate the journey of his idol (at least I assume that's how he sees Light). But then why did he seem to fall for the exact same trap as Light just a few hours earlier? I specifically designed that stunt to replicate what was shown in _Death Note_ as closely as possible, so...

...

...

Perhaps I am just overthinking this. In any case, right now my immediate goal is to stop this broadcast as fast as possible. And it doesn't look like Kira's speech will be finished anytime soon...

 _'_ _But let's move off that topic for now and talk about a type of crime which, despite being documented for centuries, has only been considered a real issue in that last two decades: Terrorism. Now, you may think that this'll be easy to sort out, after all I am perfectly capable of wiping out pretty much all the world's terrorists as well as the ones commanding them. But, while I have already begun that and will continue to do so, my efforts to end terrorism in the western world will be much harder than you'd all expect since a majority of terrorist attacks these days are orchestrated to some extent by western intelligence agencies in order to gain support for illegal wars, and I can't exactly kill the people in charge of those agencies, since, well, they aren't considered criminals._

 _Now that may sound like an extreme statement, so while I won't go over every single bit of my proof of that, I will quickly go over some of the points that stand out the most with a few quick questions. First, why is it that, with minimal exceptions, there is no pro-western Middle Eastern country with any major Islamic State or Al-Qaeda activity? And how come we have France coincidentally voting to accept Palestinian statehood right before they get attacked by ISIL. Sure, perhaps a single event can be considered a coincidence, but then we have Japan who gives $100 million to Palestine to reconstruct Gaza and suddenly, ISIL takes two Japanese hostages! And why has president Obama retitled Green-flag Syrian Jihadists to "Freedom Fighters"? And why is it that, when asked five times at point-blank range about her support of Al-Qaeda in Syria and Libya, Hillary Clinton completely ignored the journalist questioning her?_

 _Now here's the real way that nations such as the United States could've stopped these terrorists without me getting involved: Step one, stop arming them. Step two, stop funding them. Step three, stop training them. Step four, admit that you're doing all of the above and accept whatever punishment the international community gives you. But no, instead I had to step in and get rid of them myself!_

 _Similarly, how is it that, while attacks performed by these terrorists are so heavily sensationalized in the western media, no-one ever looks at the atrocities being commited by the western nations themselves? Wether it's Saudi Arabia beheading more than twice as many people as ISIL in the year 2015 alone, or the United States dropping tens of thousands of bombs and missiles onto foreign soil every year, or countless children being murdered by Israel in Gaza and Palestine, the mainstream media just loves to cover up nearly everything that's inconvenient to the powers that be. Instead, they scapegoat other nations, most notably the Russian Federation and Iran._

 _Focusing on the latter, there seems to be an almost viral notion of Iran being a big scary empire that wants to destroy Israel, so let's compare the two. Iran does not have and is not building an atomic bomb, has signed and ratified the NPT, allows IAEA inspections, and has not offensively invaded another country in over two centuries. Israel, on the other hand, has hundreds of thermonuclear weapons with dozens of megatons of explosive energy, refuses to sign the NPT, refuses IAEA inspections, has repetitively attacked its neighbors and is wiping two of them off the map as we speak, and is strongly displaying their control over western media by making Iran look like the bad guy! And then we have the United States, which not only has the world's second-largest nuclear arsenal and an annual military budget nearly exceeding every other nation on the planet combined, but is the only nation who has actually used nuclear weapons on civilian targets in warfare, and has gone nearly a century without so much as an apology!_

 _Of course, this iron fist of destruction doesn't just devastate distant lands, it also shows its might in our very backyards._ _For example, did you know that_ _the average American is eight times more likely to be killed by a police officer than by a terrorist? Or that there are already cures for cancer, but they are all suppressed because cancer is worth $160 Billion a year? Or that In 2005 a Supreme Court decision declared that it is not the duty of any police force in the US to protect citizens, just enforce laws? Or, in a more extreme example, that Martin Luther King's family won a civil lawsuit in 1999 proving that the US government was responsible for his assassination?_ _And how is it that a nation with the world's largest prison population can call itself the "land of the free"...'_

This is bad. This is really bad. Sure, he isn't saying anything that hasn't already been said via alternative media outlets (which I assume are one of his primary outlets of information), but even if we stop the broadcast, I have no doubt thousands of people are recording this entire broadcast, and the video will likely go viral all over the world. This isn't some shitty Youtube channel with less than a million subs, this is... going to be impossible to contain. Still, we can limit the amount of damage by stopping the broadcast ASAP.

I look down at my laptop to see that I have an incoming call from cheif Blackheart.

'L, have-'

'I'm watching it right now. I've already ordered-'

'Yes I know. They should be arriving at TTT's headquaters any second now.'

A second call is incoming from the agents I sent over.

'L, we've gotten into the building, but the elevators don't work!'

'Then take the fucking stairs! Seriously, can't you figure out anything for yourselves?'

'It's seven floors up to the studio.'

'THEN RUN FASTER!'

Angrily shutting off both calls, I turn my attention back to Kira.

 _'_ _But this madness will soon be history! From Washington to Pyongyang, from Havana to Jakarta, to all those in power who have committed evil, fear me! After all, I am Kira! The one who will destroy a world, the one who will recreate the world anew! And while those in power who kill the innocent for greed and try to take away your most basic freedoms grow to fear me, I encourage the innocent majority to cheer me on, to support me in my endeavor, for you will be the ones who will benefit the most from the creation of my, no, of our new world._

 _Of course, a lot of people are going to hate me for this. Off the top of my head I can name three kinds of people that are going to oppose me: Those who think any killing is wrong under any circumstances, those who think the law – which, to simplify, says any killing is wrong under any circumstances – must always be followed and is never wrong, and those who don't want power to lie in the hands of an uncorruptable force they can't negotiate with, or even identify. That last group will probably include all the world's richest and most powerful people, and I'm very glad this power wasn't given to one of them._

 _Oh, and one more thing. The US presidential election is coming up, so it'll be fun to see who wins. Will it be the fascist psychopath leading the warmongering capitalist party, or will it be the other fascist psychopath leading the other warmongering capitalist party? Will it be the racist Oompa-Loompa or the corrupt murderer? In the end, it won't make any real difference. Both political parties work for the same corporations, and even if they didn't the elections are rigged anyway and its groups like Builderberg who really choose the-'_

...

...

It's stopped. The screen has switched to the "we are now experiencing technical difficulties" thing. Does that mean the four agents I assigned managed to end the broadcast, or... I immediately reestablish my call with both them and the task force back at the Australian NPA HQ.

'Did you do it?'

'Yes, L, we have stopped the rest of the video from being aired.'

From the ANPA HQ I can hear many sighs of relief, and some celebratory cheers.

'Good, now collect all the physical evidence you can and-'

'There is none.'

'... What?'

'I'll let the director explain.'

I can hear the shuffling of hands for a moment, then-

'Is this L?'

'Yes, I am L.'

'Cool! I never thought i'd get to hear from Kira and L on the same day!'

'What did you do with the envelope and it's contents?'

'Well, Kira ordered us to completely destroy it all once we had transferred the contents of the USB to another computer.'

Shit. Even _Death Note_ 's Misa didn't think that far ahead.

'And what was in the USB?'

'It was just... two video files and a word document with a copy of Kira's instructions.'

'Well... at least we have something.'

 **(Chris' POV)**

'WOHOO! DID YOU SEE THAT!?' I enthusiastically shout as I put my winter jacket away (you'd be surprised how cold the air is up there) and taking my plain blue pajamas out of the drawer.

'Ja, I'm rather impressed.'

'I mean, it's a bit unfortunate that they didn't get to broadcast the whole video, but I'd say this is already well beyond my expectations. Again, thanks for flying me to the station and back... also, can you please, umm, hide in the closet or something while I'm getting changed?'

'Sure, sure... Although I think your method of preventing the video's containment is... unrealistic, at least.'

'Yeah, if they somehow manage to hide the broadcast from the rest of the world, that would be a shame. But I don't see any harm in uploading the video anonymously to the Dark Web if all else fails.'

'Still, you're going to get a lot of haters. You kill people, and people die when they are killed. No matter what you say, a lot of people will think you're an evil serial killer with a god complex.'

'God complex, huh? Light Yagami wanted to be seen as a god. I personally do not desire such a reputation. I want history to remember me as more of a guardian, a savior, a hero… I want the world to know that I'm one of them. You can come out of the cloest now, by the way.'

'Alright... In any case, they'll still see that you're killing people.'

'... Rugo, let me show you something.' I pull up my right sleeve to show two rows of marks burned into my arm.

'Umm...'

'Back in the mafia's vigilante corps, everyone was required to add one dash on the right for every life they took, and one dash on the left for every life they saved. The total number of lives saved minus the number of lives taken was considered your "score", and the higher your score, the better respected you would be. In my time in the mafia I had saved a total of 7 lives, with a kill count of 5, so my score was 2. While I'm no longer in that faction, I still believe in the basic concept.'

'So what do you think your "score" will look like?'

'Well, every year more than four hundred thousand people are killed in homicides, nearly two hundred thousand in armed conflicts and over fourty million in abortions. In theory all I'd need to do is drop those numbers by a tiny bit for my score to stay above zero, but I don't want to settle for that. If I want to be a true hero, my score will need to be... far beyond my former self's wildest expectations.'

I'm suddenly interrupted by a loud kocking at the door.

'... Who is it?'

'CHRISTIAN ATARASHIMONO, HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN WHAT DAY IT IS?!'

Opening the door, I reply.

'Yeah, mum, I put something on the stove...'

For those who don't know, Tuesday is our kids-make-dinner-day. And the number of times I've cooked something which anybody (including myself) considered edible is directly proportional to the number of penguins who have walked on the sun.

'You put it on three hours ago! Now the damn thing's sending out so much smoke, the red indians might mistake it for a peace signal! Now go down and help me make something for us! If I can do it six days a week, so can you!'

'What about Indy?'

'She's at a party and she won't be home until around midnight.'

As I enter the kitchen, mum speaks up again.

'... So, did you watch the broadcasts today?'

'Uh, yeah. You?'

'Yup! I think it's all rather exciting.'

'... So, whose side are you on?'

'The same i've always been on, of course! Ever since I started reading the manga all those years ago!'

Yeah, my mum's an otaku. And she knows _Death Note_ just as well as I do.

'Heh, I don't know why I even had to ask.'

'Yes, I do have high hopes for Kira. I just... I hope Kira stays safe, and doesn't let his guard down.'

For a moment I'm almost considering telling her that Kira is the one she's talking to. No, I'll keep it to myself.


	8. Chessboard

**(Indy's POV)**

'Mum, I'm home!'

'Hey sweetie, dinner will be ready in about an hour.'

Filing that information in my head, I very quietly make my way up to my room and-

'Hey sis, how was the party?'

'Oh, yeah, it was great. I met that girlfriend of yours, by the way.'

'I... don't recall having any girlfriend.'

'Does the name "Kallet Vimerica" ring a bell?'

'She's a crazy fangirl, and possibly a Yandere, not a girlfriend. Learn the difference.' He then shuts the door to his room, and I enter mine.

There's my brother, overexaggerating as usual. I know he's retained our sense of cautiousness we picked up in the mafia, but sometimes I still worry about him. In any case, I have my own shit to deal with. I enter my room and insert my phone back into the charger on the bedside table. All the rooms in this house have the same overall color scheme, although as a remnant of my earlier years I still have a lot of bright pink in mine (bedsheets, mirror frames, that sort of thing).

First I open up my laptop and begin to look at today's news feed. It's mostly the usual boring shit but occasionally there's something interesting:

 _Major oil field discovered in Antarctica, US considering liberation_

 _Scientists yet to find link between Malcom Roberts and reality_

 _Homeless protesters told to go home_

 _New shot reduces heart attack risk in non-criminals by 50%_

 _Dead body found in cemetery_

 _Giant footprints discovered in inland Japan_

 _104 missing in inland Japan_

 _Scissor-Paper-Rock to be added to 2020 Olympics_

 _17 Pokemon species are now Endangered, study finds_

 _Canadian man attempts to clear snow with flamethrower_

 _World Bank says poor need more money_

 _Local council to pay $250,000 to advertise lack of funds_

 _Cheeseburger stabbing in Houston, Texas_

 _France accidentally declares war on itself, surrenders_

 _Suicide bomber instructor blows up suicide bombers in training_

 _Google, Apple to announce new joint tax-avoidance program_

 _Detroit goes "murder free" for 48 hours_

 _Japanese politicians are thinking of building real working Gundam_

 _North Korea faces famine after supreme leader eats all the food_

 _Fish need water, states environment minister_

 _Hanson: Renewable energy most likely cause of South Australian blackouts_

 _Teen murders girlfriend with sulfuric acid_

 _Local mother surrounded by L fans, what she does next is GENIUS_

 _Queensland tap water now safe to drink... for extremophile bacteria_

 _Army tank disappears after being painted with camouflage_

 _New study finds Homicide victims rarely talk to police_

 _WHO says terrorism risk is declining around the world_

Alright, now I open separate tabs for the stories that sound interesting, and check my email. It just seems to be the usual stuff from my friends and my bo- wait, what's this? I do not recognize any email with this adress. Opening it, I see a brief message.

 _At exactly 6:00PM on November 3, go to the link below and wait there_

\- _T_

T? For a moment I consider this being spam, and then I see the end of the provided link.

.onion

Ordinary search engines can't go to .onion websites, and even the government has a hard time monitoring things up there. This link leads to somewhere in... the Dark Web.

A vast majority of internet users don't have the capability to travel to the DW, so this probably isn't spam. Could it be a message from the mafia? Since Kira showed up they've been suffering continuous losses, but surely they wouldn't already be trying to re-recruit ex-members. It could be from Viper, but then why wouldn't she talk to me in person instead? Same goes for my other friends, and my brother. Today is November 3, and the time is 5:58. Perfect timing. I open up TOR and copy-paste the URL into the search bar.

After a few seconds, the page finishes loading. Rather than somthing detailed, it is simply a black screen with two blank boxes and white styized font above them.

TO ENSURE THAT THIS MESSAGE HAS REACHED THE RIGHT PERSON, PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND DATE OF BIRTH

I reluctanly fill in the boxes.

India Atarashimono

October 18 1999

Suddenly the screen changes and fills with a black stylized "T" over a white background, just like L did in his broadcast two days ago, and a similar filetered voice comes through.

' _Hello. I am T. I'll show you who I really am soon enough, but for now I'll stay anonymous for security reasons._ '

'So are you, like, one of L's friends or something?'

' _No, in fact I do not know any more about L than anyone else right now._ '

'Then who are you, exactly.'

' _Like I said, I'll leave that to some other time. But that time will come much sooner if I have your cooperation._ '

'...What is it you want?'

' _Well first, I have some questions. Where were you at the time of Kira and L's broadcasts two days ago?_ '

'I was at a party at a friend's house. When L's broadcast began I was ouside, but Viper quickly pulled me in to join the dozen-or-so teens with their eyes glued to the TV. I missed the first bit of L's broadcast, but a few hours later when Kira's started I was alerted immediately and, well, by then nearly everyone was interested so the living room was rather crowed as we watched the second broadcast.'

' _Okay, I didn't need to know that much but still, thanks. Now, have you noticed any changes in behaviour in your brother lately?_ '

'WHAT? WHAT HAS HE GOT TO DO WITH THIS?!'

' _More than I can convince you of with words alone. Now, have you?_ '

'Well, about a week ago I caught him having a nightmare. He kept muttering things like "death gods" and "Shinigami world". But he hasn't had any other nightmares since.'

' _... Anything else?_ '

'Well, he seems to talk a lot in his room. My best guess is that he's using skype or just talking to himself.'

' _And one last thing, what are your views on Kira?_ '

'... I'm not sure how to answer that. I mean, I remember my brother reading and watching something about "Kira" and "L" for long before either appeared, but I never paid attention to it. But now, I do support Kira and wish him the best of luck in his ambitions.'

' _So L's message didn't change your mind?_ '

'I don't care about letters. The ideas and opinions of others don't affect me. I decide with my own thoughts. That being said... I am still a little scared because, well, I used to work for the mafia, and I did kill a few people when I was in it's vigilante corps, and I'm worried Kira could see that and use it as a reason to, well, kill me.'

' _Don't worry. If there is one thing I can say for absolute certain from the information I have, it's that Kira will never try to kill you. Now that you've answered my questions, I do have one final request. Since there's no way I can convince you of what I know without you seeing it for yourself, you'll need to do something for me._ '

'... T, what do you want?'

' _My request is that you place a camera in Chris's room and position it somewhere he won't see it, and from the moment he arrives home tomorrow to the moment he falls asleep, record everything that-_ '

'WHAT THE FUCK T?! I CAN'T JUST INVADE MY BROTHER'S PRIVACY AND SPY ON HIM LIKE SOME NSA PERVERT! WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU?!'

' _... Well, it was worth a shot._ '

Suddenly the screen goes black.

...

...

Who was that person?

 **(Dimina's POV)**

War, war never changes. Since the dawn of… wait, no, wrong story. Shit, umm… death! Death never changes! Yeah, let's go with that.

It's been over a week since Rugo left for the human world, specifically the one he was originally from, but only now have I found him through this observation orb. On one hand, it is good to know that he is being treated well, and that his human seems to treat him a lot like, well, a human. But I'm still worried. This human thinks much bigger than life wants him to, and on top of that he's childish and makes mistakes... then again, so was Rugo, all those years ago. In any case, just watching over them is just going to keep me worried. I'll go see if any of the others have noticed his disappearance.

Rugo is the only other formerly-human shinigami I know, at least, he's the only other one I know who is still alive, and something about his absence seems so... uneasy. After what must be well over five centuries of being a shinigami, I have gotten used to this world's overall appearance. From what I can tell the entire is darkened by constant cloud cover, and almost completely lifeless. Vegetation is an extremely rare sight, and even then I've never found anything growing past waist-level. While I still do not know how large this realm is, I have some theories about why it is this way.

During my travels to the human world, I have done much research into the kinds of events that can create this kind of world. I am still far from being called a certified geologist or archaeologist, but there are a few things I am rather certain of. All this jaggered terrain I'm walking over on my way to the nearby shinigami settlement used to be covered in plant and animal life, many of the naturally-occuring footpaths were once the locations of flowing rivers, and many of the large low-lying deserts nearby were underwater until sometime within the last few thousand years. What changed all of that, I have no idea.

I finally arrive at the settlement, which is really little more than a collection of structures formed from stone and half-fossilized bone. Upon arrival, a familiar armoured eight-eyed shinigami notices my prescene. Calikarcha.

'Hey Dimina! What happened to Rugo, I haven't seen him at all these last few days! Has he gone back to hibernate in the mountains?'

'No, he... he dropped his Death Note into the human world.'

'Seriously? The same thing happened just a decade ago with-'

Before she can continue she is interrupted by another death god, with a cattle skull for a head and a large geen beaded necklace. Gook.

'Perhaps he still cares about the human world. Remember, he didn't grow up here like the rest of us. Same goes for his little girlfriend over there.'

'THE FUCK DID YOU JUST SAY?!'

'Oh, little Dimina's using grown-up words! I'm sooooo scared!'

 **'** **ENOUGH YOU THREE!'**

'Ah... sorrysorrysorry-'

'Gook, Cali, both of you leave her alone! You don't know what she's thinking or feeling right now.'

As they run off, I look up to see who it was, and recognize him instantly. I don't know his name, or anything else about him for that matter, but I have caught a few glimpses of him over the past few days, and I think I also saw him once about three years ago. Wait... how is it that he coincidentally starts showing up again right before Rugo leaves for his human world? I mean, Rugo would've somehow had to have aquired a second Death Note to have one to drop into the human world in the first place, so it isn't unthinkable that there could be a connection between the two.

'Umm... hi.' I extend out my hand. 'Dimina Corabelle.'

Shaking my hand, he simply replies, 'You can call me whatever you want.'

'Huh? Okay. So you must be newer than most, since this is the first time we've spoken to one another.'

'Well, out here age doesn't really mean anything. So tell me, what do you think of Rugo's human?'

'Why do you wanna know?'

'I'm just curious.'

'I... what do you think?'

'Here's what I think, death god. The moment that the kid discovered the Note's true power, seeing the look on his eyes as he held up the book, that I became certain that Rugo had made the correct decision. At long last, his dream had come true, and he could begin to change the world.'

'I know, but so many people see him as so... villainous.'

'Listen, men like him, men like me... we choose to be called villains for the good of our worlds.'

 **(Chris' POV)**

'Tell me, Rugo, are there any unexpected consequences for using the Death Note this much?'

Sliding a pawn forward, he replies. 'Well, not for Shinigami, no.'

'Well no shit Sherlock!'

'As for humans, well…'

'Well what?'

'There is one important thing regarding the fate of a human who uses a Death Note, but while there is no rule specifically preventing a Shinigami from telling a human what it is, doing so is highly frowned upon.'

Moving my knight I ask, 'Aren't you already frowned upon?'

'… Actually, I don't know what the others up there think of me.'

'But if you did, would you give a shit?'

'Nein.'

'So tell me!'

'Well… how about I tell you on your birthday, as a gift,' he replies, advancing his one remaining tower and killing one of my pawns.

'Fine.' I suppose I can wait. I think.

'In any case, don't you have much bigger problems to deal with? Like, how are you going to hide your Death Note? You can't do what Light did because L knows about _Death Note_ too and he'd be looking out for a trap like that.'

'Indeed, however I do have a simple solution for that. If you want to hide a tree, you plant it in a forest, right?'

'I suppose.'

'Well similarly, I can hide my notebook in plain sight if I keep it between a bunch of similar-looking books that not even L would inspect each and every one of.'

'So that's it? You're just going to hide it in plain sight, where anyone can steal it?'

'Well, almost. I've also set up a system where, if I think someone is stealing the Death Note, I can use my phone to remotely detonate a Mini-Nuke hidden under the house.' I traverse my Queen several spaces across the board, wiping out Rugo's most threatening knight.

'Shit, doesn't that seem like a bit too much?'

'No, in fact I probably should've made the bomb bigger, just in case. Oh, while I can still remember, do you want me to show you something cool I found today?'

Wiping out another pawn, he replies, 'Sure.' I pull the object out of my pocket for him to see.

'Designed by the KGB, this may look like a normal pen, but its special ink disappears completely within 48 hours, after which even UV light won't find a trace of the writing. I was originally planning to lend it to Alex or Kallet during finals, but now I think I'll keep it and use it for killings that I don't want anyone to ever link to Kira even if they see the notebook.'

'Where'd you get it?'

'I got as a present from...'

…

…

'… Umm, Chris? … Chris? Are you okay?'

'… Yeah, I'm fine. Just… flashbacks, that's all.'

'What of?'

'… My father.'

'After over a week of living alongside you, I don't think I've even caught a glimpse of him.'

'Well, there's a reason for that. I only have vague memories of him, but what I do know is that, sometime when I was about seven or eight, he just kind of… disappeared. No-one knows what happened or where he went, with the possible exception of my mother. But she's kept her lips sealed on the matter for nearly a decade. At this point, I don't even know if he's alive anymore.'

'I'm not too different. I also had to grow up without any fatherly support, but that was under… very different circumstances-'

'And the weirdest thing about it all is… not even my own mum will tell me what his name was.'

'-oh. Well, in that case I'm the exact opposite.'

'And what do you mean by that?'

'I… don't think I should say.'

As Rugo makes his next move with his King, I decide to change the topic.

'So, while looking through Japan's national crime archives I found something interesting that might involve the Death Note.'

'What?'

'It came from a school in the Kanto region, the same area where Light lived in _Death Note_.'

'So what happened?'

'It seems several students died of unexplained heart attacks over a decade ago, in 2006. But that's not the crazy part.'

'I'm listening…'

'The children came back to life soon after they died.'

'The fuck? How is that possible?'

'You tell me, Rugo,' I answer, seizing his last Bishop with a pawn.

'Well I've never witnessed or even seen conclusive evidence of a dead human coming back to life, but I remember once hearing rumors about a device that could counter the power of the Death Note.'

'What, like a Life Note?'

'I don't know. I always assumed it was just a myth.'

'Well, after the students died, it appears two detectives took notice and were both killed as well after entering the classroom where the victims went. They were also brought back to life.'

'So if these detectives know something… where are they now?'

'They died. Again. In early October of that same year, they and the victims were killed by various accidents and illnesses, along with one of the students who had previously been questioned by the detectives.'

'So was there any connection between the students?'

'Well, they were all said to be stereotypical bullies, with one exception.'

'This definitely sounds like the work of a Death Note. If the perpetrator wasn't the one "exception" you mentioned, that means they were someone in that-'

'All the victims came from the same class, so the perpetrator must've been too. Now we need to find out as much as we can about all those people… eventually. There's no rush. In any case, I have much bigger fish to fry.'

'You mean L.'

'Yes. Specifically, I do have my first lead as to his identity. You see, not all ICUP and UN member nations joined his coalition against me. There were a few countries who are staying neutral, the most powerful of which are Russia, Iran, North Korea, Syria, Cuba and Sealand. Now, what do these six have in common?'

'They're all anti-western dictatorships?'

'Yes, but what else?'

'They… shit, I give up.'

'Well, the difference is that these are among the very few countries in the world that have a central bank independent of the Rothschild dynasty.'

'The Rothschilds? Oh I remember, my dad was actually good friends with them! Yeah, I remember all that now!'

'You see, the Rothschilds today are one of the most powerful bloodlines on the planet, with a net worth of over half a quadrillion dollars. With their massive influence they've manage to solidify control over the mainstream media, news, oil and government in nearly every country on Earth. There used to be a lot more "Independent" nations, but since 2001 Iraq, Afghanistan, Sudan and Libya have been knocked off the list. And these fuckers have also financed every major war since Napoleon. To summarize, they and their allied bloodlines are closest thing the real world has to the "Illuminati" or "New World Order" or whatever the tin-hats call it these days.'

'And you're saying L has some connection with them.'

'Probably. Then again, he may only have a connection with one of their allied bloodlines, such as the Rockefellers or Clintons. And even then I can't say anything for certain.'

'So we still aren't far past square one.' Rugo flicks a pawn my way, straight into the trap I've set out.

'Yup. Still, I have my advantage against L and his subordinates.'

'And what would that be?'

'I can't die because I'm the main character!'

'You can't be serious!'

'I'm so serious I suppose you could say I'm… dead serious! Get it? Because I have the Death Note?'

'Yeah, sure, I get it.'

'Oh, and one more thing, Rugo... checkmate. Of course, a game where your life isn't on the line is a piece of cake.'


	9. Weapons

**(L's POV)**

I spend my entire career planning for just about every crisis imaginable - up to and including alien invasion - then this happens. So much for thinking outside the bloody box. But how am I alive? Why couldn't Kira kill me that time? Does his effect only work on criminals? No, even if that were the case I'd still be dead. Perhaps he kept me alive on purpose? No, too big a risk. He must have the same limitations as Light Yagami, if not very similar ones. I'm certain, whoever Kira is, they must by now know about _Death Note_ , and since they're continuing to kill they must have taken Light's side. Now here's the really hard bit: How do I tell over a hundred super-serious police officers that the killer we're after is based off an anime character?

' _Okay people,_ ' I begin, ' _The only way we're going to track down Kira is if we put every gram of effort into it. Now have you done as I asked?_ '

'Yes master.' I hear from a large, native-looking man.

'Oh dear god Moorga have some pride!' Exclaims chief Blackheart.

'Specifically, we know that everyone is calling the murderer Kira, people have called in saying that they know Kira and one guy called in saying that he was Kira!'

' _Hmm, okay, what else?_ '

Agent Mungalo is the next to speak up. 'As for the time of death, which L was particularly interested in finding out, 98% of the victims died between 4PM and 2AM local time, with most deaths occurring between 8PM and midnight. On weekends this appears much more spread out.'

Dammit his outback accent is so addictive.

'W _hat I can tell from this is that Kira is a student, probably in High School. As stated before, he lives somewhere in Sydney and is rather intelligent. And he's probably quite an asshole. And a dangerous one at that._ '

'Is that all we know?'

The man who says this appears young, with black hair and brown eyes. His hair hangs over his ears with bangs that hang primarily above his left eye. He also seems a lot shorter than most of the other agents in the room. But before I can finish this internal monologue I hear three words resonate from around the room.

'SHUT UP OKADA!'

'… _Who is that?_ '

Standing up, the man replies.

'Yatsuk Okada, from Hokkaido, Japan.'

'Okada was a student in Sapporo but his unprecedented talent promoted him into this case.'

'... _We may stand on the brink of Armageddon, but at least we have an irritating student on our side. How reassuring. In any case, there's one other thing I know for a fact about Kira, and some of you may have figured it out already._ '

'And what would that be, L?' Quite a few people ask different variations of the same question at once.

' _I am not sure how to say this, but I think the world is being held hostage… by an anime character._ '

About a second passes, and then the room bursts into laughter.

'I'm being serious! Well, not exactly. You see, I am almost completely certain that Kira is heavily inspired by, and is basing his entire crusade around that of, the protagonist of a certain anime and manga series called _Death Note_. Who here has heard of it?'

Less than five hands shoot up from around the room.

'Well, to cut a long story short, it's a Japan-ified version of the scenario that is unfolding in front of us like clockwork. Even the name "Kira" comes from the series, as does mine, "L".'

'So we know that Kira is a fan of this "Death Note", but how does that help us?'

'… At this point, I'm not sure. Well, does anyone have anything else they want to say before we finish up for today?'

'Umm, sir…'

' _Please don't call me "sir", it makes me feel old._ '

'Umm, L…'

' _Yes, Okada?_ '

'This is in no way meant to give credit to Kira, but in the last few days, violent crime rates around the world and especially in Australia have plummeted.'

' _SHUT UP OKADA!_ '

 **(Lauren's POV)**

I can hear dad's car entering the driveway. He's probably picked up dinner with him on the way home. I pause the episode I was watching on my laptop and close the lid. I quietly walk out of my room (which consists of little more than a white bunkbed, a desk, a bookshelf and a dresser) and down the stairs just as my brother opens the door.

'Hey dad, welcome home.'

'Thanks. On the way back I brought Pizza, so can you two set the table?'

As the two of us do as we are told, I can't help but think of back when mum would do it for us. I always offered to help her out, but she consistently did it all on her own, among so many other things. And I can only imagine how Tom feels. I think I even recall him saying he'd give up half his limbs just to see mum's smile again. Well, we've both grown up a little since then, so it's not that bad. Over the last year-and-a-bit I have become very fluent in filling mum's shoes around the house, but Tom, well… the last time he tried to do the laundry, the whole machine burst into flames.

Placing the last bits of cutlery on the dining table, we sit down.

'How's school going, Lauren?'

'Hm? Same as usual, dad.'

'That bad, huh? And what about you, Tom?'

'You… sure you wanna know? I guess it's… same as usual for me too.'

Yeah, neither of us really fit in at Holt High School. Sometimes I even daydream of it being hit with an atomic warhead, but that'll never happen. Still, at least neither of us are being outright bullied or anything.

I finally give in to my overwhelming urge to ask my father the question that's been stuck in my head all day.

'So father how is the Kira investigation going?'

'Well, to say that this case is hard would be a severe understatement. It's practically a wild goose chase, and I don't think I'm alone among the team in my lack of confidence in this shady "L" person.'

So they still have no idea who Kira is. That's a relief. Of course, if my dad found out what I really think of Kira, I'd be a lot worse than dead. Of course, as much as I love Kira evading the investigation, they are the only way I can try to find out who he is, and hence the only way I can help him. I'm not sure how I could help him, though. I suppose I'll start worrying about that when I know what kind of person he is.

'I'm done.'

'What, already? … Wow, sis, you eat fast.'

'Yeah. And dad, I'll clean up my room myself so don't come inside.'

'You know I never clean your room. You've been doing it yourself for over a year now.'

'Yeah, sure, whatever.'

 **(Tom's POV)**

As Lauren ascends up the stairs, I finish my last piece of Pizza and do the same. I'd say dinner was rather uneventful, except that I didn't know Lauren had any interest in the Kira case. Then again, she's an otaku so she probably knows _Death Note_. I wonder, what would she think if she knew what I knew? I assume she's against Kira since, you know, she's the chief's daughter and all, but then again, that same argument could lead one to falsely make the same conclusion regarding myself. Just to be safe, I'll ask her about it in private later.

Entering my room I immediately lock the door and start up my computer, using my thumbprint on a scanner so I don't have to type in a password.

Once everything's running I begin my call with India Atarashimono, who after the previous fuckup two days ago has agreed to immediately re-establish communications between the two of us, just as expected.

'Hello. I am T… curiosity always kills the cat, doesn't it?'

' _I suppose this time around it has. But… how did you know?_ '

'First, let me ask, how much exactly did you see?'

' _Here's what I know for certain. My brother has an invisible being he refers to as "Rugo" who apparently has been living with him for some time now, and he also has something called a "Death Note" that kills people, and also he's Kira._ '

...

...

'I'm impressed, not just at how much you've found out, but also how calm you are about it all.'

' _Oh, trust me, when I saw the floating chess pieces or the disappearing ice-cream I was anything but calm. So enough about what I've seen, tell me, how did you know that my brother was Kira?_ '

'Do you want me to start at the beginning, or…'

' _Tell me everything, from the very beginning._ '

'Well, it all started 13.8 billion years ago-'

' _YOU KNOW WHAT I FUCKING MEAN DAMMIT!_ '

'... On October 24, your brother asked me to do two things for him. First and foremost, he requested that I make his laptop completely immune to all kinds of spying or tracking. Second, he requested that I make a voice scrambler for him that completely hides his true voice but still, and I quote, "sounds kinda hot". No matter how much I asked, he refused to tell me what it was for, despite carelessly giving all the details I requested during all his previous antics. So, out of curiosity, I placed a voice recorder and transmitter in the voice scrambler, so I could hear every word that came through it.

And then, just eight days after I finished it all for him, Kira suddenly appeared into the world. Coincidence? No, of course not. But the real shock came a few minutes after L made his first appearance and challenged Kira for the first time, when I heard this from the recorder hidden in the voice scrambler.' I press a single button on my keyboard to start the recording.

' _Attention entire world! It is I, Kira, the one who has begun to eliminate the evils of this Earth! As you are mostly aware by now-_ ' I pause the recording there, since we both know how it ends.

' _That's Chris' voice._ '

'I had no room in the scrambler to place a tracker, but from the voice it's certainly him. And after hearing him practice and recite his speech a few times, Kira made his first public appearance to the world mere hours after his confrontation with L. Still, I didn't know if Chris was Kira or merely his representative. But I'd say what you've seen pretty much settles it, after all I doubt Kira would bother having a babysitter for his Shinigami.'

' _Shinigami? But that's just a myth!_ '

'And so are Kira and L.'

' _…_ _Huh?_ '

'You see, the concepts of Kira, L, Death Notes and the "invisible being" you mentioned all come from a single manga and anime series known as _Death Note_. Unfortunately, one cannot simply explain what _Death Note_ is, you must read and watch it yourself to understand. I advise you at least begin doing so between now and our first face-to-face meeting. Your brother should have a copy of just about everything relating to it.'

' _Wait, you want us to meet in person?_ '

'Yes. Since you are Kira's sister I think it would be most appropriate. There we will discuss what our next course of action will be.'

' _I assume you'll set the time and place?_ '

'The abandoned warehouse just down the street from where you live. I'll inform you of the time tomorrow.'

' _But what do we do about the Kira investigation?_ '

'For now, leave that to me. My father is a powerful figure in the investigation, and I can hack into his account without a trace to gain access to all police files, records, everything. Oh, and just one more thing before I end this call…'

' _Yes?_ '

'When we're about to meet, please remember to arm yourself.'

' _Huh? What do you-_ '

With that I end the call. There's no real reason Indy needs to be armed at our meeting, I just really want to know what weapons she uses. Such knowledge could come in handy in the future.

 **(Indy's POV)**

Okay, shit. Like seriously, what the fuck? He makes it sound like it'll just be a calm meeting between myself and one or two other people, the suddenly comes out and says I should be armed? Is this some kind of trap? No, if that were the case he wouldn't say anything. Or perhaps he went on that assumption and tried to get a reverse-placebo effect to get me unarmed? Well one thing is for certain: It's undoubtedly a trap. But sometimes you just gotta roll the dice, and with enough firepower I'll be able to escape whatever T has set up for me.

First, what kind of combat should I expect? Close-range, long-range, melee, airborne? I suppose I'll need to prepare myself for anything. First, the firearm. An ordinary handgun may not do the trick, plus they can't carry much ammo, so I'll bring my old assault rifle, an AR-15 purchased straight from the Dark Web a few months back. Holding 30 rounds of 5.56x45 NATO ammunition, this thing has a maximum effective range of about 600 meters and is 30% more accurate than the more well-known AK-47, and it only weighs 8.8 pounds with a length of 39.5 inches. I pull the weapon out from under my bed.

This is, of course, a modified weapon. It will only recognize the palm-prints of myself or Chris, so it'll only fire if one of us pulls the trigger. And instead of normal ammunition I'll fill it up 30 smart bullets, bullets that actually follow a target unless said target's heat signature is that of someone I've programmed them to avoid, again this includes Chris and I. All of these settings are, of course, changeable, and I can deactivate their special ability and use them as regular bullets with the push of a button (said button being located on the rifle's underside).

Next, the sword. It's here that the Atarashimono family's samurai ancestry really helps. I immediately sprint into the hallway and grab a wooden box, and immediately sprint back to my room. Placing it on my bed I carefully open it and see what is inside: Tankukattā. The Katana that has been passed down through the Atarashimono family for generations. It is formed out of a unique alloy which is both lightweight and strong, strong enough to cut through even Steel or Titanium with ease. It has fought in and won many battles over the years, but it remains as strong and sharp as it was on the day it was forged. I can still see the seven virtues of Bushido engraved into it around the base.

Next, the combat knife. For that I'll just bring my Tanto. At this point I may be overthinking things, but it's always better to be prepared. Now what else, what else… oh, I'll definitely include a few nerve gas grenades, a few EMP grenades… and I suppose that's all I can easily carry without it slowing me down.

Now finally, what should I wear? Obviously I'll wear full bulletproof armor, which will protect everything except my arms and head. As for what I'll wear over my armor, my fashion sense is called "I am cold and pissed off". Also I'll wear those special shoes containing a poison blade which gives a poison-induced heart attack to anyone kicked with them. I suppose it's only fitting, since heart attacks are also how my brother kills.

… And that's everything I'll be wearing/carrying to T! About half came from the mafia, half from the Dark Web, and the remaining percentage from previous Atarashimono generations. If this doesn't deal with whatever he has planned, I don't know what will.

By the time I'm done putting everything together it's already really late, and I'm really tired. I can see the door to Chris' room is wide open, and Kira himself is already asleep. I should probably follow suite. You know, I'm so good at sleeping, I can even do it with my eyes closed!

But seriously, Chris, I promise you, I won't let anything happen to you for as long as I'm around.


	10. Agent

**(Chris' POV)**

Forbes High School, Sydney, Australia. The last place you'd think of as an origin point of a global revolution, but hey, it's as good a place as any. So we've just finished our daily Mental Abuse To Humans, or MATH for short, where I was mostly just using this new technique called the guess-and-hope method. But hey, at least I have Rugo here to cheer me on. We've actually come up with a system that allows us to talk in public. When he says he wants to talk, I simply discreetly push a button inside my shirt pocket which gets my phone ringing, and when I answer it it'll turn back off in terms of functionality, but the screen will stay lit. That way it looks like I'm talking over the phone instead of to myself. Oh, that reminds me, I should probably change my ringtone from _Guren no Yamiya_ to something _Death Note_ -related.

'Now, another main method the National Socialists used to rise to power in the Weimar Republic was…'

At this point I'm not even really paying attention to Mr Iesnes anymore. I have a whole lot of important things to think about, and very little time to think about them. Right now I have no way of accessing classified police information… well, that isn't entirely true. My acquaintance Tom is the son of the chief of ANPA, so if he could hack into his father's computer like Light did, and then forward everything he finds to me, I'd know exactly everything that was going on. But if I did that, there's a very small but still visible chance that he may suspect me of being Kira, and I have no way of knowing if or why he'd keep his mouth shut.

The police and L aside, it's probably about time I begin to make my first geopolitical moves. After all, I can't truly improve the world just by killing criminals the same way Light did. Luckily the first page of my history textbook's chapter on WWII has a little world map I can use to track my thought processes.

First, I should sort out the biggest ongoing war in the world right now. Syria. I've already gotten rid of the main terrorist factions inside of Syria, so now the war is just between two main factions, one which is heavily supplied and funded by the western nations, and the government that was in place before the war started. Either way, no matter who wins the end result will be yet another brutal dictatorship, the only difference being who that dictatorship will be allied to. At this point I can't afford to truly show the western powers how much of a "threat" I am to them, so to prevent them from taking extreme action against me I'll play into their hands for this one. Assad's government will be gone by tomorrow.

Actually, speaking of Dictatorships, why don't I experiment with wiping out a few more as well later today? Eritrea, the Congo… surely no-one's going to miss them, right? Obviously I'll be careful with exactly how I get rid of them, but at the very least it'll improve my PR if people know I'm toppling totalitarian regimes and freedomizing people around the world.

And then there's the Kurds, the world's largest ethnic group with no nation of their own. Both the United States and Russia have supported the idea of an independent Kurdish state, so I suppose I'll help them along as well. After all, if they want independence there's no reason they shouldn't have it. A few carefully-placed assassinations should do the trick.

Also on the topic of separatism, I should probably get the decolonization movement going again. French Guiana, New Caledonia, the Canary Islands, all these places have strong independence movements that are largely drowned out by all the other shit that's going on in the world. But how do I use my Death Note to help them diplomatically? Right now I have no idea.

Of course, there is one colony I'm worried for more than any other: Greenland. It appears that the US has become extremely insecure following my grand appearance, and is letting that out in a new wave of "Manifest Destiny" or whatever they call it. Puerto Rico and the American Pacific Territories are already about to add two more stars to the flag, and for some reason President Obama wants to purchase Greenland off Denmark, which makes sense since they'll want a base of operations near northern Europe in case everyone turns against them. Still, I'm impressed they've thought that far ahead. Now I just hope Canada stays safe.

But there is another thing I should tackle soon, and something that Rugo has been pushing me to look into for days now. Making allies. As in, get the full political support of entire fucking countries. Luckily I think I know exactly where to begin: the Russian Federation. There are only three nations on Earth that are powerful enough for me to use as my primary puppet state: the Chinese People's Republic, the United States of America and the Russian Federation. Out of those, I certainly can't use China due to both their insanely extreme stance against Kira, and since disbanding their totalitarian dictatorship would take years, years that I don't have. And as for America, well, Titans will fly before they willingly accept me, let alone take orders from me. So by process of elimination, I have to use Russia.

Well, there is another extremely important reason I have to ally Russia. As mentioned two chapters ago, they're by far the most powerful nation on Earth which not only refuses to associate themselves with L, but also refuses to allow their central bank to be controlled by the Rothschilds or similar secret elitist bankers. Personally I found Putin's strategy rather brilliant. He played along until he got supreme power, then suddenly did a 180 and shoved the elitists and their power out of Russia. And now he's nearly paid the debt off and is looking to expand his influence into Eastern Europe. The downside to all this is that, while Russia is the most democratic of the three nations I mentioned previously, he still has had to rig a bunch of elections to stay in power, not to mention kill a few of his opponents. And western propaganda takes this to a whole new level.

But still, let me put it this way: If Putin knew about the mafia's "score" system, I have no doubt his score would be positive, and a very big number at that. In the span of just a few years he liberated the (geographically) largest nation on Earth, reclaimed rightful Russian land and is now doing everything in his power to bring peace to Syria. Still, he ain't getting off the hook completely, and when I do contact him I'll let him know that if he doesn't bring about complete government transparency and confess to and undo all his previous acts of corruption and injustice, his name will be written. And that's just scratching the surface of the list of demands I'll be making.

As fun as this may all sound, a Russo-Kiran alliance probably isn't going to happen for some time, and I imagine it'll just be Rugo and I facing off against the police and L for the foreseeable future. Hey, at least I'm getting lots of supporters from all the media coverage. And if I type in the word "Kira" on google only half the results are porn, much less than any similar search in recent history. Heh, and that's not the best part. People from all over the world including people like Bill Gates and Oprah are sending me names of people they want killed! Of course it's not like I'll ever listen to them, but hey, at least-

'Atarashimono! Are you paying attention?!'

Oh shit, I forgot I was supposed to be taking notes and stuff. But I'm surprised Mr Iesnes noticed my daydreaming, since I sit all the way at the back.

'Yes, Ma'am, I mean, Sir! I… had just read ahead to the end of the chapter and finished writing down my notes already.'

'Then how come your textbook is still open on the first page?'

'I was just… re-reading it, sir.'

'Then you must've done a really impressive job.'

Shit he's coming this way! He may be only twenty-something and lack any deathly glare like the other teachers, but he's the one teacher that should never be pissed off. I just accidentally called him "Ma'am", and if he sees that I haven't written anything down…

'Wow, you've actually done a good job. For a moment there I thought you were bluffing.'

What? But I didn't write anything… wait, my pen has moved, so that could only mean…

'What surprises me is that you even added in some information that wasn't shown in your textbook.'

'…I just remember things.'

'Keep up the good work Atarashimono, but please don't make it look like you're slacking off.'

Rugo, I don't know how you knew this stuff, but when we get home you are getting so much ice-cream.

 **(Nigel's POV)**

I stare down at the three pieces of paper on my desk, then up at the three detectives who presented them.

'The fuck are these?'

'Exactly what they say, chief. Letters of resignation. Either you put us on another case, or if you can't do that, we leave the ANPA.'

'But… but why…'

'Why? Because we value our lives, sir. We feel this case is way beyond what we've been trained for. We are fighting and pursuing someone, or something, that seems to kill people just by knowing their name for Christ's sake! If I were Kira, I'd try to get rid of the people who were trying to catch me. That time he pulled the stunt with the televised broadcast, L dared Kira to kill him. But L never announced his name, or even showed his face, in that broadcast. And then, the other day, he told us to check how the victims had been reported in the Australian media. He wanted to know if photographs or footage showing their faces were included in the reports. Well, they were! Every single victim so far has had their face shown in at least one media report! In other words… unlike L, we all do our work carrying police IDs with our names and photographs right there on them! We don't hide our faces. We're right out there in the open! And if this is not enough to convince you, boss, we are prepared to hand over our badges-'

'Okay, hand'em over.'

'The- come again, sir?'

'Since you guys don't want to work this case, gimme your badges and get the fuck out.'

'We don't wanna quit! But at the same time, we don't wanna be a part of this case-'

'WILL YOU ALL PLEASE SHUT UP? I'M TRYING TO ORDER LUNCH FOR L!'

We all turn around to see L's right-hand-man, Q. His entire body is covered by his black suit, so we don't know anything about what he actually looks like. But based on the sound of his voice, I'd say he's at least sixty years old.

'Now, L, are you sure you want a happy meal and medium fries?'

' _Yes Q, I want a happy meal._ '

'Don't you know how bad that is for your health? People have had heart attacks just from eating their food!'

' _I WANT A HAPPY MEAL!_ '

'Why don't you want KFC? You love KFC!'

' _I don't want KFC, I want McDonald's._ '

Suddenly the investigation room's doors burst open, and agents Moorga and Okada come bursting through with what appears to be a newspaper of some kind.

'Chief! You need to see this!'

'What is it?'

…

…

'What the hell?! Impossible! All four of the… ALL FOUR WIGGLES?! Who could possibly do something like this?!'

Okada answers, 'Well we caught the shooter. It was… Steve Irwin's ghost.'

' _You people have to be the most retarded cops on the planet. Now can we please focus on Kira? Someone gimme some good news_.'

'We still have no leads in the case and we've found nothing in Kira's killing patterns that can narrow down the search.'

' _No, that's bad news. Good news makes people happy. Better luck next time! Well unlike all of you I actually did my job and found something we can use._ '

'Huh? You have a lead?'

' _In Death Note, the first major clue L had was that Kira's actions suggested that he had access to task force information. Specifically, when Kira found out the task force was suspecting a student due to Kira's killing schedule, he deliberately changed the times of death in criminals for the next few days. Unfortunately, it's been days since we determined that our Kira is likely a student, and nothing has changed. This either means that Kira has no access to our classified information, or he's hiding the fact he does. Fortunately, we have something else to work with. In addition to the death of Justin Bieber there was one other isolated case of what could have been Kira's doing. As briefly mentioned in my broadcast, at 1:48PM on October 25, a serial killer named Deustcher Nyan died of a heart attack just outside of Forbes High School. Combine this with the fact Kira is likely a student, and I think it is very probable that he was present at the scene, and I am certain he was present in at least one of these isolated cases. So we will begin our search by investigating the people present at the Justin Bieber concert on the 24th, and at Forbes High School on the 25th. We should start by looking at the overlap, to see who was present at both events._ '

'So should we begin shadowing these people?'

' _Well, yes, but due to the delicacy of such an operation ANPA won't be the ones doing the stalking. Instead I'll call up some professional agencies, like the FBI, CIA, MI6 and Mossad._ '

'Are you saying we're not professional enough?'

' _Yes. Remember, this'll be the first time any government official observes Kira in person. And while the list of people present at either of the two isolated incidents, as well as those closest to them, will probably turn out to be well over a dozen pages long, one of them is Kira. I'm sure of it. Now that that's out of the way, we need to start looking at the bigger issues here. First, glazed or sprinkles?_ '

 **(Chris' POV)**

I'd say today's been an okay day. Rugo saved my ass in history, Kallet tried and failed to get a date with me again, Alex is being less of a dick for some reason, and Viper's continuing to panic about the continuing losses in the mafia. And on top of all that, L and the police have no possible leads on me.

'Chris, you got a moment?'

As planned I push a small button tucked into my pocket, and…

' _SIE SIND DAS ESSEN UND WIR SIND DIE-_ ' *Beep*

'Hello?'

'Say, you got any fangirls?'

'Fuckin' millions, why?'

'Millions?'

'Well I know I had like half a dozen at the start of the year, but no doubt that number has expanded exponentially since I became-'

'SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP!'

'What? Why?'

'What I was going to say was that there's a big ugly guy following you.'

'Rugo, I know you're there.'

'NOT ME YOU DUMB SHIT! He looks to be about 20 to 25 years old, American, and an actual investigator.'

'What?! Why the hell did you not tell me this sooner?! More importantly, how could L already be spying on suspects? I mean, all he knows is that I live in Sydney! But I'm sure I won't be caught. After all, the police have no reason to believe that **I'M KIRA!** '

'I think you should be quiet!'

'WHY?! IT'S OBVIOUS THAT THEY'LL NEVER FIND OUT **I'M KIRA! ME!** '

'God you're an idiot.'

…

…

In the quietest voice I can make clearly enough for Rugo to hear, I continue. 'Don't worry, I'll do something about him really soon. Now at this point the only way L could narrow down his list of suspects to the point where he starts sending agents is by looking not only at who was present in the Justin Bieber incident, but also when I killed that other guy. The overlap between those two events can be the only way he's gotten this far. Well, technically I wasn't at the JB incident, but my sister was, and if they're looking into family members and close friends as well, then I'm still in the overlap.'

As I arrive home I immediately turn on my phone and start up a homemade app (originally based off a mafia-made one) that shows how many times today my bedroom door has been opened. Each time it does so, a tiny camera directly facing the door activates, and looking at the three bits of footage recorded I can see that the only person entering my room today was my mum, while vacuuming or putting away laundry. Yesterday and the day before all show similar results.

After unpacking my bag I take out my Death Note and turn on my computer.

'So what are you planning to do about your stalker?'

'Well, I know he wouldn't use Australian police for a job like this. So first I better find out who L is using. And it's only been a handful of days since our first confrontation, yet I'm already being followed. So whoever's doing it must have quite a few people on the job. Let's say they have a hundred people probing FHS and the concert attendees… the likelihood that I'm suspected of being Kira is almost zero. There're too many other suspects. But if the operation goes on for months, there is a slight chance that I'll come under suspicion… I need to find out what my shadow's name is. If I can do that, it's all under control. So what's the best way of getting his name without raising his suspicions…?'

'Well, you already know about the Shinigami eye deal, so...'

'It's a good idea. Just look at someone's face, and see their name… to say that that would be great would be a severe understatement. Rugo, this deal of yours… is completely out of the question. For now at least. But if I'm ever stuck in a sudden life-or-death situation like when Light had to find Naomi Misora's name, I may consider it. Speaking of the Death Note, I found four new names, Rugo, which I do not recognize who had very elaborate deaths.'

'Yeah, about that, umm, let me do a little explaining first. Chris did you know there's a thing called Donut-Ice cream combination cake?'

'I know I'm going to regret asking you this, but do you care to elaborate exactly what you've done?'

'Well I was getting bored and I figured, why can't I write a few names too every now and then? So I made this first guy escape from prison, run three miles to the nearest gas station, take a shit bigger than his head and die of exhaustion on the floor. The second guy, I made him summon Satan using his own blood. The third guy ran into McDonalds and then had a Heart Attack, and the last guy, I had him write a letter to Santa Clause. He wanted a unicorn.'

'Rugo, I'm at that point now where I'm not even surprised when this kind of stuff happens. I'm just gonna be expecting it every single day. In any case, I have another problem I need to fix right away. Before I became Kira and you showed up, I was a very strong supporter of _Death Note_ 's Light Yagami and built up a strong internet presence around him and his Kiran ideology. But if I ever home to stay out of L's crosshairs in the long run, I need to do a complete 180. I need to change my public opinion of Kira into one of hatred and endorsement of L, and the transition needs to look natural. Kira alone isn't enough of a motivation, I need something more strong-handed, something more direct.'

'Well, you could always kill someone you know.'

'But who?! It can't be someone I actually care about, or else I'll regret it forever. But it would have to be someone people know I like. Any ideas?'

'Well… what about your friends at school?'

'No. It has to be someone who lots of people admire, so that way L won't be able to immediately pin it on me. And none of my close friends are popular.'

'So… what about one of your favorite youtubers or internet bloggers?'

'I could try that, but it probably wouldn't provide a big enough push for my transition to look natural. It has to be someone I know in person. Plus it needs to a criminal, someone who's death via Kira wouldn't be unexpected.'

'Perhaps we should try a completely different idea.'

'No, this… this is the only way. If I do this, and someone I know is killed, then I'll have the motivation, as far as everyone else can see, to join the fight against Kira and pursue the investigation team. Then my presence in the team will keep me constantly one step ahead, almost ensuring my success.'

'But who? What criminal do you know in real life who everyone thinks you have feelings for, along with many other people, even though you don't actually care about them?'

…

…

'I got it! I just figured it out!'

'Hmm?'

'How to get the name of the agent that's stalking me AND convince everyone that I'm against Kira in the same move!'

'What're you going to do?'

'"After writing the cause of death, details of the death should be written in the next 6 minutes and 40 seconds", right? Now from what you've said, what I've seen and what the Death Note says the amount of control I have over a person before they die is more or less the same as Light had, so I won't need to test it. Well, I'll still write a few little messages for L to glare over, just for fun. This should be interesting…'


	11. Plan

**(L's POV)**

'I feel like I'm in a reality show, with all the crazy shit that's been going on lately. But after watching a few other anime in my spare time, you know what I think we need in order to fight Kira? We need Titans with friggin' lasers attached to their foreheads!'

' _L! … L! … L! The meeting is not over! Your mic is still on!_ '

'…Oh, heh heh, right. What'd I miss, Q?'

' _Well, a bunch of criminals died under suspicious circumstances. One died from exhaustion after taking massive crap in a nearby gas station, one summoned a demon, one asked Santa for a unicorn, one wrote some kind of suicide note and the last one escaped prison, ate at McDonalds and had a heart attack. I'll send over the exact details now._ '

After pouring over the data for a minute, I share my thoughts.

'Given this information, I am unable to determine if the last criminal's fatal heart attack was caused by Kira, or by eating at McDonalds. Both scenarios are very likely.'

' _So right after you beg me to get you McDonalds, you come out and admit that its food is so unhealthy that it can give heart attacks?_ '

'Well, I'm on that new diet where you eat everything and trust your plot armor. Now, if Kira used these criminals as a test, he's about to start something, and if he does make a move now, it's possible one of the probing teams will notice someone acting suspiciously. But if these deaths weren't a test, and had another purpose, then this note might be some kind of message.'

I closely examine every single aspect of the suicide note. It says…

 _Lord have mercy,_

 _Do what I can, I'll either be shot or,_

 _You know, killed by "Kira". I_

 _Know about him._

And if I translate it the same way L did in Death Note it becomes…

 _L do you know_

He's really doing the same thing as Light? Really? Wait, perhaps the rest of the message will be different. Like me, Kira's treating this like some big game, so really anything's possible. And what a game it is! I mean, without heroes, a bad guy has nothing to do. Well, before this I did play a vital role in organizations such as the Bilderberg group, but this is all way more fun. And the only way I'm going to win is by winning. And after that, I'll eliminate my competition. I will be the best. I don't care what it takes…

… Wait, after I catch Kira, and sentence him to death... would I become a Kira murderer? A Kira Kira?

 **(Indy's POV)**

The street is empty as usual, although usually not this quiet. Then again, I'm not sure if I've ever been here at this time of day, after all the kids have returned home from school and all the adults have either returned from work too or won't be doing so for another hour or so. The location I'm scheduled to meet T within the next half-hour is an abandoned warehouse on an industrial estate, and while he says I'll just be meeting him with no backup, I know he requested that I arm myself for a reason. What that reason is, I have no idea.

A worn auburn fan identifies the warehouse in question, and I silently sprint up to the side of the door before peeking inside. The inside of the warehouse is just a single large, empty room, with a few crates of some kind in one of the corners. Small puddles of water dot the floor in the room's darker corners.

There's actually just one person in there, but he looks nothing like what I was expecting. I mean, even through the voice filter I could tell that T was young, but surely not like this! Other than his small size I can see that he has white hair and crystal blue eyes, and he's doing something on a laptop, the brand of which I can't identify. I alert him of my presence by kicking a rock through the door. He immediately looks up and closes his laptop.

'Indy?'

Walking through the doorway, the only one in the warehouse by the looks of it, I decide to play along with whatever he (or rather, whoever T is) has planned. First, I'll play the "Are you T?" card.

'So, you're T? I wasn't expecting someone so…'

'Young? Small? Weak?'

'… So who are you?'

'There are some who call me… Tom. Thomas Blackheart, to be exact.'

'Blackheart. That name certainly rings a bell…' I'm not lying, I do actually remember hearing that somewhere before.

'We actually have met before, once, but I doubt you'd recognize me.'

'Well, when was that?'

'January 28, 2015. You and your brother had been sent to rescue my sister, mother and I from a foreign crime syndicate, in what ended up being your last mission in the vigilante corps. It's almost ironic, one mafia fighting another.'

'… You're the son of the chief of ANPA.'

'That I am. Oh by the way, do you want me to tell you why I requested you weaponize yourself?'

Alright, this is the part where the guns are about to start blazing. But I'll still play dumb until that happens.

'… This is a trap isn't it?'

'Surprisingly not. I just really wanted to know how you'd arm yourself. And I see you've done a really good job at it.'

Well, if he's still keeping his mouth shut then there's only one way I can stop that. I slowly grab my AR-15 from my back and take aim.

'There are at least five different ways I could kill you right now, SO DON'T BULLSHIT ME! NOW TELL ME WHAT YOUR TRAP IS, OR I SWEAR TO GOD I'LL-'

'I'm not bullshitting. Of course, if you choose to believe that, there's nothing I can do to stop you from pulling that trigger. After all, in this world, the strong always triumph over the weak. It's such an obligingly simple rule, and one that traces back hundreds of millions of years. Every species has its own predator, and its own prey.'

I take a few seconds to absorb what he said, and lower the assault rifle. It's true, painfully true, and if this really is Thomas Blackheart then he'd have seen it first-hand when his mother was killed nearly two years ago. Although I don't quite understand that last thing he said.

'Man has no predators. We have nothing to be afraid of except... each other.'

'Exactly. The only "predators" of humanity are humans, and it's now up to one teenage boy to save our entire world… from itself. Just look at our planet today. Crime, War, Corruption, Murder, Fascism, Capitalism, Poverty, Balkanization, Greed, Oppression, Extremism, Nuclear Proliferation, Terrorism, all these things have come together to destroy what could have been a better world, a world where no-one has to suffer from blades, bombs or bullets. And your brother knows that. More importantly, he knows that the world will not change through mere talking.'

'So you're on Kira's side, despite your father-'

'My father does not define me anymore. I'll come to my own conclusions using my own thoughts and my own beliefs. What about you, do you think Chris is a bad person?'

'I don't like the terms "good person" or "bad person" because it's impossible to be entirely good to everyone or entirely bad to everyone. To some, you are a good person, while to others, you are a bad person. All you can ever change is the ratio.'

'I couldn't give a better answer myself. So, let's cut to the chase. Right now we have three options regarding what to do with your brother. Option one: we tell my dad everything we know, Chris is caught and killed, and this whole Fanfiction series abruptly and anticlimactically ends.'

'NO! NO NO NONONONO-NO NONONONO-NO NONONONO!'

'Care to elaborate?'

'BECAUSE… IF… IF WE DO THAT WE'LL BE KILLING HIM! AND IF WE KILL HIM HE WILL DIE! IF HE DIES HE WILL BE DEAD! IF HE'S DEAD HE WON'T BE ALIVE!'

'I was thinking the same thing. After all, he is my customer, your brother, and one of the people who kept a bullet out of my head last year. So here's the second option: we tell him everything we know and that we're on his side, and the three of us, well four if we include his Shinigami, team up against L and the police.'

'Not only is that idea stupid, it's also very dumb. We have no way of knowing how Chris or his Shinigami would react to knowing that we know about them.'

'Okay, there's nothing wrong with valuing your own life. So that leaves us with one other option.'

'Let me guess, you want us to just sit back and watch?'

'Pretty much. Of course, that can't happen either unless we trust one another enough to form an alliance.'

'Tom, I already have a boyfriend.'

'What? When did I say anything about that? No, I'm just suggesting that we cooperate on finding out everything we can about Chris, his Shinigami, and "Kira". Nothing more, nothing less. Besides, there is no "I" in "Mutually Beneficial Cooperation".'

…

…

'You know, I never thought I'd say this, but I like this idea of an "alliance". At this point I'd rather trust and regret than doubt and regret. So, I assume you already have a plan for how it'll work?'

'Mostly, yes. Both above- and underground I'm already known as one of Sydney's greatest hackers, and as such getting into my father's computer and getting vital information from there has been relatively easy.'

'You're a hacker, huh? Bullshit, a little kid like you can't-'

'How do you think I knew your name and birthdate? If you want I can also recite your kill count, score, and the number of missions you've been involved in during your three years in the mafia.'

'… You got into the mafia's database?'

'Yup.'

'… The amount of dedication you'd need in order to be capable of accomplishing that at such a young age is, well, I'm impressed. You got a cool backstory or something?'

'At first I only learned computer coding because it was fun. But after I first showed my mum what I could do, the smile on her face was all the motivation I needed to keep going. And when she died, I knew that I must continue to enhance my skills so one day I could use them to avenge her death. That's all there is to it, nothing too fancy.'

'Your mother's death was only last year, but you seem so calm talking about it.'

'Why shouldn't I be? How can I move forward if I keep regretting the past?'

'So, back to the investigation…'

'Apparently, the police have been pissing off L a lot lately.'

'How so?'

'Instead of investigating they keep playing Minecraft. Of course I could beat all their asses in that game on any day, but that's beside the point. So far they know that Kira's a student, he doesn't have access to classified information like we do, he needs a name and a face in order to kill, and that he was present either at the Justin Bieber concert on the 24th, or at Forbes High School on the 25th. Finally, L has already sent agents from multiple intelligence agencies around the world to shadow the above.'

'That means… why haven't I seen anyone following me?'

'The current number of suspects is probably a three-digit number, perhaps even four. It wouldn't surprise me if it takes over a week to get to all of them.'

'So where exactly are the agents coming from?'

'So far I know of the US, UK and Israel that are sending them in. But I've got unconfirmed bits of evidence suggesting involvement from various other countries, mainly in the European Union. With that information I doubt we have long until you've got someone on your tail as well, so we must use our time preciously.'

'But if we're just going to spy on my brother with a few cameras, what else is there to do?'

'I suggest we make it our goal to acquire a small portion of the Death Note so we can see the Shinigami. Unfortunately the Death Note is currently stored somewhere in your brother's room, so you'll need to be the one to get it. Remember, the Chris that is your brother is very different from the Chris that is Kira, so he can't find out that we know about him. However, no matter how careful we are there is one factor we can't control, and that is the being known as the Shinigami that Chris seems familiar with. If the lore of _Death Note_ is as true as it's shown itself to be so far, then that means there is likely a Shinigami following your brother around 24/7, and when you find the notebook, there's no way of knowing if it will catch you in the act.'

Shit, I've only just started on the _Death Note_ manga and I haven't even glimpsed the anime yet. For a moment I feel left out, being the only one amongst myself, Tom, Chris and probably L who hasn't read/watched the thing.

'… Alright, I'll do it.'

'Are you sure? I mean, this could be very dangerous, and I can do the action stuff too you know. I'm not just a massive intellect. Besides, I'm willing to risk my life for this.'

'Risking your life and doing something that could easily rob you of your life are exact opposites. I may not know a whole lot about Shinigami, but I doubt you'd stand a chance against one.'

'And you think you can? Spoiler alert, you can't.'

'Well, I can try. That being said, I'll do my very best to avoid directly confronting it.'

'Right. Let's value our lives. But even though I won't be there for backup, can we keep in touch throughout the operation via texting or something?'

'I'll decide on the day. Or rather, on the night, since that's the only time his room is left unguarded with the door open.'

'I think you should decide on these things now while I'm here.'

'I'll do things my own way, not however it's convenient for you. Look, I have to get back home, but I assume we'll be in touch again, like, tomorrow-ish?'

'Sure.'

Opening the door, I look back at Tom, and remind him:

'Just remember, there is no "L" in "justice".'

'Right. Let's show this "detective"... that the good guys always win. Just please promise me you'll never be kidnapped by a blond gay orphan terrorist.'

 **(Chris' POV)**

'… And that, Rugo, is my plan for Syria.' I finish as I take another potato chip out of the bag.

'Yeah, you probably shouldn't piss off the Russians like that. I mean, Assad's regime was one of their closest allies.'

'Hey, I'm sure it'll be fine, especially with me wiping out all the anti-Russian terrorist factions as well. Not to mention what's going on in America. It's practically Putin's wet dream!'

'Oh yeah, I heard you mention that earlier. What's going on there?'

'Well, I can't say if it was Trump's victory in the election or my speech one week prior, but over three million people have taken to the streets demanding revolution and a return to democracy. A lot of the population is waking up and realizing that the system is rigged, and when those who claim authority act in contrary to morality, morality demands that the people act in contrary to authority. Of course, it's dangerous to be right when the government is wrong, and there have already been dozens of deaths resulting from the brutality of the militarized police and the use of unnecessarily excessive force.'

'That sounds intense. I mean, I knew their capitalist system was broken, but-'

'Broken? Where'd you hear that? The problem here isn't that the capitalist system is broken, the problem is that it's working exactly as it's supposed to!'

'But three million people is only, what, one percent of the American population?'

'Yeah, right now they don't have the numbers needed to get the ball rolling. But right now I'm not really worrying about that. So I've already told you my plan regarding my stalker, right?'

'Ja. So who are you going to use for the main event?'

'I think I'll go with this guy I saw on the news last weekend. Drug addict who tried to rob a bank and failed, shot two people and one vegan as he escaped. Now I'll just ring up my acquaintance…'

I turn on my phone and tap on the contact titled "VS"

*RING RING*

Huh, she doesn't have a cool ringtone? How have I just noticed that now?

*RING RING*

*RING RING*

 **[RINGING INTENSIFIES]**

\- Beep -

' _THIS BETTER BE GOOD, IT'S 2 O'CLOCK IN THE FUCKING MORNING WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU WANT?!_ '

Yup, definitely her.

'Morning, Viper! Look, I need a favor.'

' _If I say yes can I go back to sleep?_ '

'If you say yes, I may consider rejoining the vigilante corps.'

' _…_ _Chris? Whatever it is I'll do it._ '

Well, here goes nothing…

'I'm being followed by a secret agent of some kind, as are several others from school. It has something to do with the Kira investigation, but that's beside the point. I want to know exactly who he is, or at the very least, what country and intelligence service he's from. Now like I said, he's following every step I take, and I have no way of knowing if there are cameras set up at school, so the only way you'll be able to identify him without raising suspicion is, well…'

' _Yes…_ '

'Do you think we can, like, go on a fake "date"?'

…

…

' _…_ _If this is your way of asking me out, it's not working._ '

'No, I'm actually serious. You really think I'd make up an excuse like that?'

' _Alright… I'll tell you when I'm available at school tomorrow. But I can't make any promises._ '

'Okay, see ya then! Bye!' I immediately hang up before she can come up with some excuse.

'So if she actually does find out who he is, won't the rest of your plan be kind of redundant?'

'She won't. Even with her high position in the mafia, she probably still can't do it, not if this is all being orchestrated by someone as powerful and capable as L.'

My answer is cut short by the door suddenly slamming open.

'HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN WHAT DAY IT IS?!'

'…yes, mum, I'll start cooking something.'

'And when I say clean your room, YOU CLEAN YOUR FUCKING ROOM!'

'Yeah, I'll get to that later.'

'And one more thing. You're test results have come in, and it looks like you got a passing grade, a D and a C. **Definitely** room for improvement, but still pretty good.'

'Thanks.' With that I jump off my bed and descend down the stairs to the kitchen, while mum's staying upstairs to put away clothes or vacuum or something. Closing the door behind me, I resume my discussion with Rugo.

'Now there's there's something else I forgot to mention, about the whole "Kira" thing in general. Even if I create a world free of crime and war, all that progress will be for nothing unless I can redesign society to continue to be as such even if Kira was to disappear. That way, if I die without an heir the world won't just return to normal like Light's did, like a loaded spring.'

'What makes you think Light's returned to normal?'

'Well, that's what the fandom thinks, at least.'

'You mean the same fandom that thinks Light is evil and L isn't? … Hey, Chris, are you even listening to me?'

'Rugo, if it says I have to cook it for half an hour at 200 degrees, does that mean I could just put it in for three minutes at 2000 degrees? Or for eighteen seconds at 20,000 degrees? Or for a bit under two seconds at 200,000 degrees? Or even… alright, I've got an idea. Hold my potato chips and watch this.'


	12. Hijacking

**First, a quick message from me: Hi! If you're wondering why I'm not putting too much effort into character descriptions etc, it's because actual fanart pics and various other bits of useful information relating to the world of** ** _I, Kira_** **can be found on the** ** _I, Kira_** **section of the Death Note fanon wikia. I encourage you all to check it out, and even to add to it if you see anything important in here that isn't on the wikia. Also, I didn't think I'd need to say this at first but please leave a comment on what you think about this so far. This is my first ever FanFic so I really want/need feedback. Also it would confirm to me that the 500 or so views I've gotten over the last month-and-a-bit are views from real people.**

 **(Chris' POV)**

Good, he's still following me. He's not even hiding it very well. It's convenient that I see out the back of my head for no explicable reason.

'Chris!'

'What?'

'I can fly.'

'Yes, Rugo, you can fly.'

'I can fly.'

'Anyway, do you remember your role in-'

'I BELIEVE I CAN FLY, I BELIEVE I CAN TOUCH THE SKYYY-'

'SHUT THE FUCK UP RUGO!'

'Hey Chris!' I hear from a familiar acquaintance, her purple eyes shining into my own. I mean, wow, we both know this isn't a real date (although we both have vastly different ideas of the real purpose for our meeting), but she actually has made herself look much more beautiful than normal today. Perhaps she actually likes me? If that's the case then, shit, we could've become partners in crime or something. She could've been the other side of the coin that is Kira. Wait, who am I kidding? She's an assassin and hence a murderer, and she'd never forgive me for what I'm doing to the mafia that has kept food on her plate and ammo in her gun for as long as I can remember. And I can't second-guess myself now, now that I've already set up everything that's going to happen. There's no turning back now, and in any case I'm sure I'll find a better girl someday. Preferably one with connections to the police.

'Holy shit. You better get at least a two-digit number of bases you lucky bastard!'

At this point I'm too close to talk at normal volume, and our phone method may backfire, so I simply whisper my response.

'Rugo, I have to avoid doing anything on this date that could get me emotionally connected to her. I'm feeling bad enough as is.'

Of course, I can fluently disguise my true thoughts, and I sit next to her with the vibe of a typical enthusiastic high-schooler. No matter how you look at it, it's just an ordinary date. And that's what the guy tailing me is going to see.

'Sorry I was late Viper, I was just helping the… elderly across the street!'

'If you're ever late again, I'm gonna rip off your head and [CENSORED] down your [CENSORED]!'

Dammit, should've come up with something more believable.

'Gosh, I haven't been to Sealand-land since junior high! This is gonna be fun! Plus, I get you all to myself today, Chris…'

'Viper, my stalker's at least thirty meters away. You see him.'

After briefly moving her eyes but keeping her head still, she replies. 'Yes.'

'At this distance he probably won't even notice your pretending. Still, to be safe we shouldn't talk about-'

'Huh? P… pre… pretending?'

Wait, did she genuinely mean that? Does she genuinely like me? Fuck, let's just hope my imminent cloud of regret has a silver lining.

 **(Ryan's POV)**

Ryan Parson, stalkin' down the road, Ryan Parson, after Atarashimono, Ryan Parson… I should write this down. But first, I'll finish my report. Opening up a notepad I write at the bottom of the page:

 _Christian Atarashimono, son of Haumea Atarashimono and an unidentified father. Suspect no. 37, no grounds for suspicion._

I'll just follow him this one last day, and next I need to shadow his sister. Wait, what's Chris doing getting on a bus with a girl? His relationship status said he was single! Looks like it's time for…

 ** _SECRET_**

 ** _AGENT_**

 ** _RYAN_**

 **(Chris' POV)**

A tap of the back suddenly jolts me out of my daydream, and I see the criminal I had written into the notebook yesterday walk onto the bus, his hands in his pockets. I quickly focus my attention to Viper to make sure she's all normal and everything.

'… In other words, if you don't have self-confidence, make someone around you a more miserable person than you are. Of course, I personally…'

Yup. Just her usual self, although she can't seem to decide if she should sit with or without her legs crossed, or how long she's going to be blabbering on for. In any case, my other puppet has arrived for the show. I don't even remember what his name was, but based on his appearance I'd guess he's at least sixty years old and probably weighs the same as the average American. And apart from him there's thirty passengers, as many as I could organize. Of course, none of them know I manipulated things so that they'd all be on the bus at this time, which was insanely difficult since I couldn't really use the Death Note to help with that. My main reason for having so many people on the bus is so that, even if L finds out that this agent had to reveal his ID here, I'd still have some chance of deflecting suspicion since more than twenty of the passengers were present at one of the two isolated killings before my main "Kira" began. In other words, even in a worst-case scenario I'd still be just one among two dozen or so suspects. This is going to work out perfectly.

At that moment the man pulls out and cocks a gun, holding it to the bus driver's head. Just say the magic words, fat Gandalf.

'I'M A CRACK ADDICT AND I'M HIJACKING THIS BUS!'

Okay, that's not exactly what I imagined he'd say, but it'll do. Everyone of the bus gasps, with the exceptions of Viper, Rugo, the agent and I.

'Cut the squawking! Anybody makes a sound or move of any kind, I blow their damn head off!'

'Dude, eat a snickers.'

'…Why?'

'Because you become Kira's next victim when you're hungry… better?'

'Better. LOL NO! Betcha didn't see that one coming, bus driver! You know the Sealand-land phone number, don't you? Call it.'

The bus driver dials the number as everyone there is left wondering what the fuck just happened. Including me. I mean, I never even wrote… Rugo changed it at the last minute without telling me, didn't he? I'll have to ask later. For now I'm focusing on what's happening at the front of the bus.

'This is Smith, driver of bus no. 7. The… The bus has just been hijacked by a man with a gun!'

'Gimme that… You hear that? Now listen to this. Take all the money you made yesterday and bring it to the Chatswood bus stop, that's two stops before Sealand-land, before this bus gets there. I want a woman delivering the money by car, and nobody else! You try to be smart with me or call the cops, and I kill every passenger on this bus! You got that? Good.' He then rips the phone from it's cord, before throwing it to the ground where in cracks in half.

'Chris, I know I liked you and all, but if he tries to kill us I'm throwing you in the way.'

'And I'll do the same.'

Just moments later I feel a soft tap on my leg, and turn to see Viper handing me a note on a torn-off piece of paper. I quickly read it in my head, already knowing exactly what it says.

 _Don't worry, I have a plan. I'm going to run straight up to him, even though he has a loaded gun, and pin his arm down so he can't use it. He's pretty small and weak-looking. I'm sure I can restrain him. Unfortunately due to budget cuts, this message will not self-destruct._

As I notice a few passengers trying to see what she's written, I quietly respond, 'It's good to see that someone has the balls to go, but don't forget to do your best to stay alive.'

My stalker leans forward as I subtly swap out Viper's not for one I made out of Death Note paper earlier.

'Don't. It's too dangerous. Let me take care of that. Its okay, we can talk if we keep our voices down. He won't hear us over the noise of the bus.' Crumpling up the new note I respond.

'I don't mean to be rude, but you have a slight accent. You aren't Australian, are you?'

'No, I'm American.' Exactly as I'd planned, Viper speaks next.

'Do you have anything that will prove to me you aren't the hijacker's accomplice?' One of the other passengers quietly whispers, 'A… accomplice?'

'It's a pretty common practice. They make you think there's only one guy, but actually he has an accomplice in the back to keep watch and come to the rescue if something happens.'

'Oh shit, you don't mean…'

'Well, do you?' I'm really liking the way I planned this out. Having Viper do all the talking brings me even further from suspicion if L were to find out about this incident. Either way, by this point my shadow has no choice. He probably highly doubts that I'm Kira, since if that were the case he'd expect me to give the hijacker a heart attack. That being said, he's probably been specifically ordered to do everything he can to prevent anyone from seeing his ID. And then there's the possibility his ID is fake. But that doesn't make a difference, since even looking for his alias in the database of whoever he works for will still lead me to his true identity.

'Do you have any identification?' Viper asks again, her patience wearing thin.

'Hey, fuck you dude I didn't do anything-'

'ID PLEASE!'

'You're a little pain in the ass, you know that?' He replies, giving in and showing Viper and I (and about half a dozen other teenagers who were watching from the seat in front of Viper and I's) his ID.

FBI. Facebook Investigator. So L's using the FBI to probe the suspects, at the very least… name, Rylie Parrie. Probably an Alias, though.

'FBI. Forceful Butt Insertion.'

… close enough, Rugo.

'Okay, I trust you. And right now I won't ask why an FBI agent is onboard this bus.' I do wonder why she thinks he's here, though. Does she suspect him of investigating the mafia? Or does she correctly assume it's something Kira-related? In any case, now it's my time to talk.

'Got a gun?'

'Yes, I do.'

'So you'll take care of it if something happens?'

'Yes.'

But he'll only take out the gun as a last resort. He probably doesn't want the cops asking him what he's doing here in Australia, since I doubt the entirety of ANPA knows what L's doing. But I've killed more people in America than anywhere else, so he could say the FBI's conducting its own investigation… no, he'll try to avoid the police. I can be sure of that.

Now I drop my crumpled-up piece of Death Note paper and give a sufficiently loud "Oops" to attract the criminal's attention.

'Hey! What's that there? A note?'

'Yes. Please, pick it up.' At this point Viper and the FBI agent aren't even paying attention anymore, so I can probably get away with saying that.

'Oh, I might just do that… stupid teenager… Tch! What's this, where you were meeting your date? Drop something again, I'll shoot ya!'

Perfect… not the shooting thing, but the fact he touched the Death Note.

'And that goes for all of y'all. Anybody makes a move, I'm gonna- WH- WHAT THE HELL?! YOU… IN THE BACK THERE, YOU… MONSTER, YOU… HOW LONG YOU BEEN THERE?!'

'That's a bit racist, don't you think?' Rugo replies.

'Don't move, just stay… right there… or I'll shoot!'

The Facebook Investigator immediately responds, 'He's on PCP or something, he's hallucinating! Everybody get down!'

'Well, I never thought our plan to copy Light's plan would go this well, Chris…' Luckily Rugo isn't looking at me when he says that, which was something I forgot to mention when we were planning this.

'Back… stay back…'

 ***BANG***

'You're wasting your bullets. I'm a Shinigami, so they won't do anything!'

'Shut up! I have a loaded gun!'

 ***BANG**BANG**BANG**BANG***

'See how loaded it is?'

 ***BANG**BANG**BANG**BANG***

'It's very loaded!'

 ***BANG**BANG**BANG**BANG***

'It's not un-loaded at all!'

 ***BANG**BANG**BANG**BANG***

*click* *click*

'… Oh shit!'

'Dude seriously with that many bullets you could've robbed a freakin' mall!' Comments the bus driver.

'You are out of bullets! I'll stop you!' States my stalker as he runs down the aisle, passing through Rugo toward the criminal.

The hijacker runs to the driver, grabbing him and shouting, 'Stop the bus! Open the damn door!' The brakes slam on and the bus lurches to a stop before the door opens and the criminal jumps out, landing on the road on his hands and knees. Within three seconds a car races along, trying to stop but quickly failing, and the man is hit at high speed, killing him instantly. For a moment, everyone on the bus just freezes in place, looking at the scene.

'Oh my god he's dead!' I hear from one of the kids in the seat in front of me.

'Fuckin' better be.'

'What?'

'… I mean, what a tragedy…'

I check my watch. Exactly 6:45. The Death Note's right on time.

'Hey.' I look up to see my FBI shadow.

'Yes?'

'I'm actually in Australia on a top-secret mission and if the public finds out, well…'

'I understand. I won't tell anybody about meeting you.'

'Same here' Viper agrees.

'… I'm out of here, then… don't want to be around when the police arrive, so…' without further explanation the man flees the scene, and is out of sight within seconds.

That's right, run swiftly. If you live through this battle, you will be a true warrior. And you will carry on. Now I don't want the cops to find out I've had contact with an FBI agent, either. L would definitely hear about it. Ryan Parson obviously doesn't suspect me. The police are going to process what happened here today as a simple accident. You know, as long as it doesn't kill me, being Kira is a lot of fun.

'Listen, Viper, I know we were set to go to Sealand-land, but after something as fucked up as this-'

'What're you talking about? We're almost there! We're going. Plus, who wants to be questioned by the cops?'

As we leave the scene hand in hand, I can hear one of the bystanders commenting,

'Well, someone should clean that up. It's starting to smell.'

 **(Ryan's POV)**

Well, this has been one shit day. But at least I can move on to tailing the other Atarashimono suspect tomorrow, I think as I open the hotel door.

'Ryan, you're back.'

'Yeah.' I quickly reach into the closet to find some normal clothing. This suit is really goddamn uncomfortable.

'You seem drained. Did something happen?'

'I got mixed up in a bus-jacking.'

'A bus-jacking?'

'Yeah. This guy who failed to rob a bank a few days ago tried to hijack a bus. Didn't think this kind of stuff happened in Australia. I thought it was just kangaroo riders and coal miners.'

'And you were on the bus when this happened?'

'Yeah.'

'What'd I tell you about going on buses? Buses are for normal people, we are not normal. We are better than those vermin. Now drink your tea for god's sake.'

Sipping the aforementioned tea, I continue. 'But the guy jumped out and ended up getting run over by a car.'

'Did he die?'

'What do you mean?'

'Did. He. Die.'

'He was hit by a car going at least 50 miles an hour.'

'But did he die?'

'There was blood everywhere…'

'So did he die?'

'… You're being serious right now.'

'Very! So did the criminal die?'

'Look, my target's not Kira, okay? Too young, too stupid.'

'A criminal dies in front of you while you're investigating a Kira suspect and you're not the slightest bit suspicious?'

'Don't tell me how to do my job. Look, I know you're an excellent FBI agent, but this ain't your case, okay? You promised me you wouldn't get involved, or do anything that would put you in danger. Those were the conditions. The only reason you're here with me is so we could visit your parents.'

'All right, Ryan. Force of habit, I guess. I'm sorry.'

'Hey, I'm sorry too. Look, if worse comes to worst, we can always revert to our Division Emergency Response Plan, or DERP for short. So how about using that brain of yours to figure out how I can make a good impression on your folks next week?'


	13. Gunpoint

**First, a quick follow-up message from me: Massive shoutout to my first reviewer! Alice Yagami commented:**

 **Interesting**

 **i love it**

 **Well, that's about as vague as a positive review can possibly get, but nonetheless I really appreciate this, and I hope I'll be getting more positive feedback in the future! In fact, it doesn't even have to be positive, I listen to criticism too. Well, without further ado…**

 **(Rugo's POV)**

It's been five days since the busjacking, and Chris hasn't done anything with the FBI agent's name. What could he be planning? After taking another gummy worm out of the bag, I ask.

'So Chris, what's your plan for your former stalker?' The teenager turns around in his chair to face me and responds.

'Well, here's what I was thinking. In _Death Note_ , there were two factors that led to Light being a prime suspect so fast. The first was that, in his move to kill every FBI agent in Japan, his stalker agent was seen suspiciously in SSTV cameras, so it was known that Kira made contact with him specifically. The second is that the agent's fiancée mysteriously disappeared because Light had to kill her because she knew that A: The agent that was following Light gave his ID to someone on a train carrying only 6 other people, and B: That Kira can kill in ways other than a heart attack.

Now the reason Light had to kill all the FBI agents was to dodecuple the number of potential suspects, but the only way for him to do that involved a plan which ended up revealing his stalker as the one who was following Kira, completely backfiring that plan. So Ideally I'd want to get rid of all the agents in a way that makes it impossible to determine which one Kira contacted, but not even Light could do that. I suppose I could get Tom to hack into the FBI's database and use the name of my agent to see who else is on the same mission in Australia. Then I could kill them all simultaneously without leaving a trace-'

' **NEIN! ICH WERDE ES NICHT ZULASSEN!** '

For a moment Chris looks startled, almost jumpscared.

'… Say what?'

'You have no reason to kill the FBI agents! They're innocent, they've done nothing wrong other than follow orders! If you're going to kill people for doing their jobs then that-'

Before I can finish, Chris grabs the notebook, flips back a few pages and holds it out open for me to see.

 _Ryan Parson – Heart Attack_

 _Does not inform any of his co-workers or superiors about the bus jacking incident, and at the end of his investigating concludes that he has no suspicions of any of the people he was following. Over the next 22 days he convinces himself never to get involved with the Kira case again, and this Death Note's control over him then dissipates within 23 days of the time at which this is being written, and he dies in his sleep the night before the end of his pre-determined lifespan._

Huh? But then why did he say…

'Chris, you… you were just testing to see what my reaction would be to you saying you were going to kill them?'

'Yup. I was curious to see how much, if at all, you Shinigami value human life. I mean, from the conversation we've been having I couldn't quite tell what your stance was, let alone how much of what you said about your opinions was true. And I must say I'm quite pleased with your reaction. I suppose even Shinigami have their soft spots.'

'Well, I wouldn't exactly call myself a normal Shinigami…'

'Let me tell you something, Rugo. In _Death Note_ , Light Yagami had three main flaws that led to his downfall. The first, and probably the reason so many people hate him, is that he didn't care enough about the lives of innocents who got in his way, or who he considered a threat. He could have made his moves in a way which would keep Raye Penber, Naomi Misora, Watari and several others alive, but instead he chose the safer and easier route.

The second, and my biggest personal problem with him, is that he never put enough trust in his own squad, and was overly confident he could do everything on his own. With the exception of Misa, the only times he ever got someone else involved on his side, he merely used them as a puppet to do his bidding.

The third, and the reason the world bounced back so quickly, was that he was far too quiet. He never made any public statements or speeches or anything. With the exception of Misa's tapes in the first arc and Takada's involvement in the second, his Kira was completely silent to the world, leaving everyone with countless unanswered questions.'

'… Wow, you're actually trying to surpass Light, and you sound like you're somewhat succeeding! But seriously, what's your plan for the FBI agents?'

'Well, it's probably not just the FBI that has sent agents into Australia under L's orders. It'll be hard, but within a few days I should have a relatively complete list of all of them, a list which I can then show the world and then make an empty threat to kill everyone on it. But first, I'm going to play with L.'

'… Pardon?'

'Me. Playing. With L.'

'So… you're going to be playing with L?'

'Problem?'

'No I just didn't think you were into those kind of things.'

'Oh dear god Rugo! Why would you even think about that?'

'I'm sorry it's just the way you said it!'

'You sick bastard!'

 **(L's POV)**

"L, do you know"… how is Kira going to end his message? Surely it would be a waste of time for him to just finish it as the exact same message Light made in _Death Note_ , since he probably knows I know-

 ***beep**beep**beep***

' _Yo L, never fear, raise your head, Q is here!_ '

'Q, stop trying to connect to young people. It doesn't work.'

'I just want to feel young again.'

'Well you're not. You're like one hundred years old or something. Now what did you want?'

'L, we have a new suicide note, similar to the previous one.'

'Great. Scan it and send it to me.'

This is awfully convenient, considering I was just having an internal monologue on this exact thing. Now, Kira, what do you say this time…

 _My last inmate is dead._

 _God, could I be next?_

 _Of course I try to stay hopeful, but_

 _Death seems so close, so real._

So that means his message so far is "L, do you know…"

 _My_

 _God_

 _Of_

 _Death_

"L, do you know my god of death…" Kira, are you trying to suggest that Shinigami exist? And that you have one, like, as a pet? Then again, at this point I wouldn't rule it out as a possibility, what with Kira having his superpower and all.

'Q, there might be more victims leaving notes like this. Tell the police to keep a close watch on all prisons.'

' _Will do._ '

Is Kira trying to give me some kind of clue? He is clearly a worthy opponent. I must put every ounce of effort I have into this. Now to stare at my screen blankly.

 **(Nigel's POV)**

I look up at the three low-ranking officers in front of me, ready to hear their rephrasing of the exact same sentence.

'Sir, we just, uhh, we request a transfer. We just don't feel safe putting our lives in L's hands.'

'Dammit, this is the fifth transfer request this week alone! At this rate we'll soon have less task force members than voice actors for them all! So what the hell is your excuse?!'

'Well, chief…'

( _Twelve minutes earlier_ )

'Now L, we're relying on you here. Do you have any new leads?'

' _…_ _What if I'm Kira?_ '

'Wait, what?'

' _NOOO! WHY WOULD I DO THIS?! I'M A MONSTER!_ '

( _Back to the present_ )

'You gotta admit, it would've been the perfect crime!'

'Listen, chief, if you want to stay and die working with L, go ahead. But we're out of here. Anyone else who wants to live should follow us.'

'… On Twitter?'

'What? No.'

At that moment Moorga bursts through the door, with panic written all over his face.

'Chief! You have to see this! Kira's making his second TV appearance! He's already started talking! AND HE'S NOT HAPPY!'

We all quickly scramble over to the nearest TV to see Kira, again in his expensive-looking costume and again in front of his black "K" flag. Suddenly the whole room goes quiet, and if it weren't for Kira's voice one could hear a pin drop.

' _In total there are 124 of these agents deployed into Australia, having been sent by agencies in Belgium, Canada, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Indonesia, Israel, Latvia, Lithuania, New Zealand, Poland, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Turkey, Ukraine, The United Kingdom and The United States. So here's the deal, L. Either you pull all of these spies out of my country, or I will face no choice other than to use the full force of my power against them! You have three days to get them out of here, or else._ '

The screen suddenly goes black, and after a few seconds switches to the frightened hosts of TTT, and we all turn around to face the laptop with L's symbol shining out of it.

' _So, despite my best efforts it appears Kira has identified everyone that I've sent in to spy on potential suspects. If I may say so, this entire situation has been majorly fucked up!_ '

One of the younger officers is the first to respond, shortly followed by several others.

'L… I knew we couldn't trust him…'

'But if Kira won't hesitate to murder the foreign agents… that means he doesn't just kill criminals. He'll eliminate anyone who's trying to catch him…'

'So he'll murder anyone going after him… Kira's a real dick.'

'That's right, and we're sitting ducks here!'

'This is exactly what those guys who quit said would happen! Well, I value my life too!'

 **(L's POV)**

Maybe I should've been following the agents more closely, instead of focusing on imprisoned criminals…

' _L. Another victim has left a note, I'll scan it for you._ '

After a few seconds I can see the note, and it reads:

 _Speaks, does he? This strange figure, is he even really Australian, or could he be... American? Russian?_

 _German? British? Who knows, really? All I can hope for is that I'll be spared, but I doubt that I even deserve it._

"L, do you know, my god of death…"

 _Speaks_

 _German?_

Damn you, Kira. Still, by threatening to kill the agents, you've made a bold move. I'm almost positive you were in contact with one of them. And I just know by doing that, you've left me a bigger clue than these notes!

' _Also, L, you've got a call from the director of the FBI. I'll link you through to him now._ '

 ***beep**beep**beep***

'… Can I help you, Director?'

' _We're no longer helping you with the case._ '

'… What?'

' _L, I'm sorry, but the FBI and CIA are terminating their investigation in Australia. Despite our precautions, Kira has still uncovered the identities of all our agents. These are men and women who he could kill at what is probably the mere push of a button, something he will do unless we recall them. And the decision to send them over was made by me alone. I'm going to be questioned by congress over this. And I'm a well-known man, my face is public property. I don't want to be killed. The FBI and CIA are pulling out of Australia, and that's final._ '

I suppose this is how I'd expect him to react. After all, I have met him before and I do know the way he thinks. It was actually one of the first times I'd met a high-ranking FBI agent, back when I was a kid, and his appearance back then was almost intimidating. Large, bald, tiny grey eyes and a grey beard, typical black suit and tie… of course, that was years ago, and now both of us have moved several levels up the ranks. But I'm surprised my father didn't keep the FBI and CIA in here, like he said he would. Then again, I suppose this isn't exactly his field. Still, I'm disappointed in him. Seriously, how can a man with such a successful track record of pulling the strings of the foreign policy of the most powerful empire on Earth fail to pull off such a simple task?

Suddenly I faintly hear another voice coming from the FBI director's end of the call.

' _Sir, you have a call from detective superintendent Blackheart of ANPA on line two._ '

' _Hmph. Here's a phone call from the Australian task force already…_ '

And with that he cuts the call. So now it seems my coalition's pissed off. Even if they were planning to send more agents to Australia, that's going to be a long way off, after they've given it some hard thought. I don't have a lot of pieces left to play, so I'm going to have to move into action myself pretty soon.

 **(Lauren's POV)**

It's getting very rare for me to see dad during daytime hours, and based on the look on his face right now I think there's a good reason why. I decide to speak up first.

'So… Why the family meeting, dad? We're not going anywhere for Christmas, are we?

'Be quiet, sis.' I hear from Tom to my left.

'Listen, kids, there's no point in hiding it, as you'll find out eventually anyway. So I'm telling you this now. I'm in charge of the special task force that's investigating the Kira case.'

'Wow! I guess I kind of knew, but still… you're amazing, dad!' I'm not even faking my reaction, I am genuinely impressed… even if I am on Kira's side in all this.

'But that isn't what I wanted to tell you. I assume you've all heard Kira's latest broadcast? Well, faced with no other options, all the foreign investigators we've deployed to follow potential suspects have been recalled. Kira's driven us into a corner by essentially holding all these agents at gunpoint. In other words, anyone who tries to apprehend Kira may be killed. Morale is low. A lot of my detectives are quitting the case. And who can blame them? They fear for their lives. I can't force them to stay on when we're dealing with such a powerful and dangerous figure.'

For a moment Tom and I just sit there, unsure of how to respond. I mean, I do dream of becoming Kira's ally, but I'd never give up my father's life for that. But I obviously can't say all of that, so I simply reply:

'Then you quit too, dad! What if he tries to kill you? Your life is more important than your career. All you have to do is resign.'

'No. I'm seeing this case through to the end. I will not succumb to evil.'

Shit. Am I soon going to have to choose between my father and Kira? Wait, who am I kidding?! Unhealthily underweight, massive boobs, inhuman intelligence… I have none of those things. So out of all his millions of fangirls, why would Kira ever chose me?

'Dad…' But before I can continue my brother confidently stands up and states,

'I'm proud of you, dad. You're absolutely right. And if anything happens to you, I'll see that Kira gets the death penalty. I swear it.' Immediately after finishing his sentence, Tom jumps back upstairs into his room, as if he somehow thinks everything's okay.

'Gee, Tom…'

'You know, you could learn a thing or two off him, Lauren. You should have more confidence in me. And in yourself, for that matter.'

 **(Pearl's POV)**

I hold out the photograph to the bus driver for him to see.

'Yes, yes that's him. I remember him because he was alone, plus he shouted for everyone to get down. I couldn't swear to it, but I'm pretty sure this is him. But as to all the other passengers…'

'I see. If I come again with other photographs, do you think you might remember?' I ask.

'Hmmm… can't say until I see them, but to tell you the truth, I was too scared to notice much. One thing's for sure, though, there were at least thirty other passengers. That's all I can tell you… sorry.'

'Oh, no, you've been a great help. Thank you. I may come again if I have more questions.'

If my hunch is right, one of those other passengers could have been Kira, in which case, he may live somewhere near this bus route…

 **(Chris's POV)**

'Chris, Indy! How about helping out with the year-end cleaning?'

'Why are you starting already? It isn't even the holidays yet! Besides, the house is always spotless, mum.'

'He's right, it is.' Indy agrees.

'Is… is it?'

I turn back to the newspaper I was reading, and decide to comment on what I'm seeing.

'Geez, what are these TV stations thinking? All the holiday specials are about Kira. Look at this. "Emergency news report: Closing the truth on the Kira case!", "Analysis: All-night special on L and Kira"… whatever…'

'Says the one who's going to watch them, right? Well, it's my turn on the TV today, so watch that stuff up in your room, okay bro?'

'Yeah, sure... although this is the 154th day in a row that it's been your turn on the TV, but I won't judge. Just illegally download the "emergency news report" and USB it to me, okay?'

'I knew it! You are going to watch it!'

'And now, the dutiful high schooler will study until dinner…'

'If you're gonna do that, Chris, here's a helpful studying tip: Always laminate your study notes. That way your tears won't dampen them.'

'I'll keep that in mind, although I probably won't be studying _that_ much.'

'I feel like I'm watching a sitcom' States Rugo. I almost agree.

 **(Nigel's POV)**

'All of us could be murdered by Kira. The threatened deaths of the foreign agents tell us that Kira's targets are not restricted to criminals. He will consider killing anybody who tries to apprehend him. Think about you own lives, and about your families and your friends. If you want out of this investigation, you're free to leave. Quitting the task force will not lead to demotion. I've already spoken to the deputy director-general about this. Only those who are ready and willing to sacrifice everything and fight, who are truly committed to stopping Kira are asked to remain. To continue on, we need people who are tough. We need people who can laugh in the face of danger! We need people who will not screw everything up at a crucial moment! Any volunteers?'

…

…

*Cricket noises*

…

…

Alright, if no-one's going to be the first to commit to staying here, I'll have to pick one myself.

'Okada! I saw your hand just go up!'

'Wait, no I didn't-'

'We have our first volunteer, everyone!'

'But-'

'Okada! Yay, Okada! So I'll find out who else remains when I return tomorrow morning.'


	14. Meeting

**(Nigel's POV)**

I enter the room to see it almost deserted, with only eight agents remaining, I recognize them all almost immediately.

Yatsuk Okada. At 21, he's the youngest officer left, and despite being the most unpopular officer in the task force, he's extremely talented at outside-the-box thinking and openmindedness. I also notice that he's growing his hair longer, although I doubt that'll become a really important plot point later.

Steve Mungalo. A 28-year-old detective, raised in the outback and with an accent to match. Blond hair, green eyes, overall English ancestry. Out of all the agents remaining, he's also the one I've known for the longest.

Aivenawa Shinoda. 34 years old. A short man with an even shorter temper, takes his job very seriously. Cold, blue eyes pierce into the very soul of anyone he looks at, and not a strand of his black hair is facing in any direction except backward.

Moorga Jimboomba. At 55 he's the oldest remaining investigator (besides possibly L and/or Q). One of the last victims of "the stolen generation", Moorga never found his parents ever again after being forcefully removed from them as a child, and that somehow lead to him wanting to join ANPA.

Lastly there are agents Clovis, Marco, Maes and Red, who I know very little about as they're the newest agents aside from Okada. What I do know is that the four of them seem to be very tightly-knit together and work much better among themselves than with anyone else.

Okada is the first to acknowledge my entry.

'Great to have you back, chief.'

'… So we're down to the nine of us? Everyone else is gone?'

'Yup.'

'Those bastards! They're all fired!'

'But didn't you say yesterday that-'

'SHUT UP OKADA!'

' _Just to let you know I have great faith in you nine staying behind._ '

'So what do we get?' Asks Okada.

' _…_ _What do you mean?_ '

'What do we get for staying here?'

' _Umm… my trust._ '

'That's all?!'

' _Well what do you want from me, a fucking pony?_ '

'Actually a pony sounds good right now. Can I get one too?'

' _Really, Marco?_ '

'Yes.'

' _Oh for fu… fine. You can have a fucking pony._ '

Aivenawa then objects.

'Uh, wait just a minute. L said he has great faith in us, but we don't have faith in L. We can't trust him!'

Maes agrees. 'We've decided to risk our lives to get Kira, L. You ought to know what that means. We're totally exposed. But you just order us around without ever showing your face. We'll go after Kira, L, but we can't work with you. It's not just us. The public doesn't trust you either. People are turning against you.'

Red is next to join the rant. 'What do you expect? If people say its L's fault Kira almost killed over a hundred investigators, who can deny it? Plus there's this " _Death Note_ " thing which is making the public even more suspicious!'

I decide to step in. '…It's true that a number of criminal psychologists have suggested that L is Kira, in other words, they're saying that L has a split personality. Think about it. The FBI, CIA, MI6, CPB, Mossad and all the other acronyms were brought in by L. And then Kira shows up on stage, threatening to kill them all. L would have known the identities of all those agents. And that's not all! If you consider everything that's happened so far as being orchestrated by L, it all suddenly makes sense. The fact that he never shows himself to anyone, and that he's a genius who can solve any crime, only makes that theory more convincing. L… If you want to work with us and help us catch Kira, how about coming here to the task force in person?'

'Yeah,' Agrees Aivenawa, 'If you show yourself to us and promise to be a part of the team, we'll trust you. We'll cooperate with you.'

' _Aww do I have to? I have Hotmail, we could email._ '

'No, we want to meet you' I respond.

' _Facebook? I have Facebook!_ '

'No.'

' _Skype?_ '

'No!'

' _Twitter?_ '

'For god's sake can we come to your house?!'

'Party at L's house! Woohoo!' Marco's declaration is followed by enthusiastic cheers from around the room.

' _…_ _Please keep what is about to happen a secret among the eleven of us._ '

'Huh? What? What's about to happen…?'

' _I would like to meet the nine of you who have my trust as soon as possible. Do not speak of our meeting, or having met me, or what we will be doing, or anything really, to anyone who is not in the room now. That includes anybody in ANPA, your families, or your friends. Please leave the ANPA building to discuss whether you can swear to the above, and whether you can trust me. Only those who agree to work with me in this investigation shall return to the room, and I will send further conditions for our meeting to this computer._ '

 **(Okada's POV)**

It's convenient that the area outside the ANPA building is deserted. As far as I can tell we're out of eyeshot of any security cameras, so it should be safe for us to talk now.

'So, what should we bring with us? Oh, I think we should bring a chocolate cake!'

'For the last time Okada, this isn't a party! It's more of a "uniting together against Kira" thing.' The chief responds.

'Sooo… should we bring him a cake, or not?'

'I think we should bring cookies. Chocolate-chip cookies.'

'No, Marco! Caramel-chipped ones are better!' Clovis objects.

'Well, since we're the police it goes without saying that at least one of us should bring doughnuts.'

'Good point, Moorga. So we all agree to meet L?' The chief asks.

I answer first. 'Well, I really trust him and I really think that to solve this case, we need to have him on board.'

Aivenawa quickly objects. 'What, so he can use us and get us killed? And if he's really cracked all those hard cases alone, why would he be willing to show himself now, when we're down to just nine people? How much help would we be?'

We all turn to the chief to hear his response.

'… L made it clear from the very start that he would need help from the police to crack this case, what if we look at it this way? L was waiting for this to happen.'

'For what to happen?'

'There were people in the task force who didn't trust L, from the very start. Then we had detectives quit the case, one after the other, and under the circumstances, L couldn't trust the task force.'

'So you mean, L was waiting for the task force to be reduced to just those who were willing to risk their lives? And who trusted him, and who could be trusted by him?'

'Yes.'

…

…

I suppose I'll break the silence first.

'… I do trust him. I'd like to work with him.'

'Me too…'

'Let's visit L!'

 **(Nigel's POV)**

' _As I was saying, we must relocate everyone left to a secret location. Q, show them the directions to… the L lair._ '

'Did you hear that? We're going to a secret lair! That means we're gonna be, like, superheroes or something! What'd'ya say, chief?'

'Well,' I respond, 'I call Batman because I sound like Christian Bale, and that means you, Okada, are Robin. Now we just need Moorga to be the Hulk, Clovis to be Thor, Aivenawa, you can be Ant-man and you, Red, you can be wonder woman. As for-'

' _I am now in a room in the Commonwealth Hotel._ '

'I thought you said you were in America?!'

' _Every few weeks, I will move to a new hotel nearby. I would like the task force office in the ANPA building to serve as a front from now on, with my hotel room serving as the de facto center of the investigation. Of course, this is a defensive measure to prevent Kira from learning what I look like, and I realize this means I will have an unfair advantage over all of you in that regard. However, this is as far as I am able to go at this point in order to gain your trust and work with you on this investigation. If you are able to cooperate with me on these terms, please split into two teams and come to my room by 11:30PM on December 4, leaving at least a 30-minute interval between the two teams. Q will hand you a memo with my room number. I'll be waiting…_ _Remember, over the course of this case some of you may die, but that is a sacrifice I am willing to make._ '

 **(L's POV)**

Kira, I think that right now, we're even in how far we've closed the distance between us. But the clue I've managed to get was obtained by sacrificing the support of even the most loyal foreign intelligence agencies. So I'll do this. I'll show myself to others as L for the first time. Somehow, you will find out about these secret meetings, and you'll close in on them. That's what I'm counting on.

Bring it on. Even if you get a look at my face, you can't kill me without knowing my name. And even if I find you, it would be extremely risky for me to kill you without first being absolutely certain that you are Kira, which means I would have to either catch you in the act, or nail down hard evidence. Either way, this war won't end until someone wins. And as for the task force? Heh, I'll use them all up, and throw them away like trash when it's over!

Making your bold threats the other day has got to have put you on the defensive. What are you thinking right now?

 **(Rugo's POV)**

' _A leading businessman narrowly avoided death today after his would-be hitman was caught and apprehended before successfully pulling of the man's assassination. The assassin in question is the 16-year-old teenage mafia sniper known as Viper Scott. She was accompanied by several other mafia agents, all of whom escaped the scene and avoided identification. Viper is now being held…_ '

I briefly turn my attention away from the TV to re-read the final sentence of Chris' entry into the Death Note last month.

 _She dies of a heart attack 30 minutes after her arrest is publicly broadcast._

Turning back to the TV I, mention "You know, its funny how red, white and blue represent freedom… until they're flashing behind you, right Chris? … Chris?'

As I turn around I see something very different from the cheerful, excited Chris I normally see. Instead he's curled up in a ball on the bed, facing the wall and making a faint weeping sound. Shit, how didn't I see that?

'… Chris, are you crying?

…

... But you said it yourself, she was someone who deserved to die…

…

Please say something, talk to me. I really don't want to see you like this…

…

Take a deep breath. This is not the time to be emotional.'

Sitting up but still facing away, he replies.

'Look, I know I shouldn't let it distract me from my duties as Kira, but… I actually did have feelings for her, Rugo. I didn't realize it before, but… I do. You know, people seem to forget that I'm not a god, I'm not a demon, I'm still just a human.'

'… Look, we agreed a month ago that on your birthday tomorrow I'd tell you one of the most vital things about humans who use the Death Note, and when I do I think it'll give you some perspective regarding what I know about these sorts of situations. But for now I'll say this: If you begin to regret, you'll dull your future decisions and let others make choices for you. All that's left for you then is to die. Nobody can foretell the outcome. Each decision you make holds meaning only by affecting your next decision. And look, I know that to kill someone that you used to love is such a painful feeling. Trust me, I've been there before. But the bottom line is that if you lose this big game you're playing as Kira, you die. Win and you live. And you can't win if you don't fight!'

I hope that response wasn't too rough. As he turns his head around to see me, I can be assured it wasn't. There are no more tears coming out his eyes, although he still looks terrible.

'… Thank you, Rugo. You know, I feel you're one of the first true friends I've ever had. Listen, can you do me a favor?'

'Sure, what?'

'L probably wants me alive, so he can publicly execute me. If it comes down to it, I need you to kill me to stop that from happening.'

'… Let's hope that never happens.'

'It probably won't. I'm pretty sure I didn't leave any evidence. And anyway, even if he suspects me of being Kira, he can't confirm his suspicions unless he gets his hands on the Death Note… No! I've got to stop thinking like that! I can't let myself be even remotely suspected of being Kira! I've moved around a lot these past few weeks. Did I make any mistakes? And what is my next move? The real battle starts now… actually, the real battle starts tomorrow because I am tired as fuck right now! Actually, the real battle starts the day after because tomorrow's my birthday. I've already packed my school bag for tomorrow and written the days' worth of names along with tomorrow's, so… goodnight!'

 **(M's POV)**

With the sun rising above the New York skyline behind me, I look down again at the terrifying papers in front of me, then up at my subordinates.

'I assume these are just… worst-case contingency scenarios for the results of Viper's imprisonment?'

'Ma'am, we had a very small window of time to verify the outcome, but… this isn't a contingency scenario. This is a report on what's actually happened. Viper Scott has died of a heart attack.'

Slowly removing my glasses and setting them on the glass table next to the papers, I reply, in the calmest voice I can manage:

'Anyone who is not in the top ranks should leave.'

Without so much as a whisper, two-thirds of the people in the room exit, the last one closing the metal door behind them.

…

…

'… YOU IDIOTS! YOU MORONS! THAT IS AN INSULT TO MORONS! WHAT IS THIS SHIT!? I HAVE A MEETING WITH THE PRESIDENT OF THE FUCKING YAKUZA THIS FUCKING AFTERNOON! NOT THE PRESIDENT OF FUCKING ZAMBIA! NOT THE PRESIDENT OF THE FUCKING JANITOR'S UNION! BUT THE PRESIDENT, OF OUR ONLY TRUSTWORTHY ALLY IN THE ENTIRE FUCKING WORLD-'

'-We haven't seen her body so there's a chance she could still be alive-'

'-WETHER WE HAVE THE BODY OR NOT, DEAD IS DEAD! JUST LOOK AT THE REPORTS! IT'S ALL THERE! AND JUST AS WE'RE ON THE BRINK OF UNIFYING AGAISNT KIRA, THIS SHIT HAPPENS?! AT THIS RATE KIRA'S GOING TO BE THE BIGGEST NIUSANCE OUR MAFIA HAS FACED, SINCE STALIN!'

I fall back into my chair, unable to rant at full volume without hurting my throat too much.

'What am I supposed to tell them? That one of my best friends is dead, because my subordinates… are not intelligent enough, to be fucking morons? Look, can you all leave as well?'

As everyone does as told, I look behind to see the sun hiding between the silhouettes of the skyscrapers, marking the dawn of a new day of just trying to keep the mafia together, let alone unifying with the Yakuza. I can also faintly see the glass' reflection of my own face, my blond hair and cold blue eyes shining with a single emotion: Rage.

'Kira. First, you take my father. Then, you start killing my subordinates, one by one. And now, one of my best friends is dead… Very well, have at me then! I'll destroy you! I'll show you despair! The one who will laugh last will be me! Don't worry Viper, you will be avenged. After all, in the end there is no greater motivation than revenge.'

 **(Rugo's POV)**

Oh, what a beautiful ceiling… No, seriously, if Chris can fall asleep in mere minutes, why can't I? I mean, sure, I don't need it, and the blankets in this closet make it rather cramped, but I still wish I had some way of quickly passing the time before anybody wakes up. I mean, I could go exploring the area surrounding the Atarashimono residence, as I've been doing for the past month, but after a while even that gets boring and repetitive. Then again, I've only ever passively observed what's going on, I've never tried to stir up some trouble by interacting outside. Hmm, if I'm not asleep in another half-hour I'll try that. But what time is it now? Phasing through the closet door I look at Chris' digital clock. Only a few minutes past eleven, it seems. Huh, on some days he'd still be awake at this time.

Just as I'm about to float back into my makeshift bedroom, I see something out of the corner of my eye. The door, its opening. The window is shut, and I don't feel any wind, so… what could it be… wait, I see a head coming through, and above it I use my eyes to see the name,

India Atarashimono

What's she doing? I thought everyone was asleep! And why's she sneaking in here? Do siblings usually do this kind of thing? Shit, she's belly-crawling over to the bookshelf, where Chris is hiding the Death Note! Should I do something?!

Indy then quickly pulls out her phone, and for a brief moment the entire room is filled with the light pouring out of it before she quickly sets it to its minimum brightness level. Crawling up beside her, I can see that she's texting someone.

 _Are you sure this texting rig is completely untraceable/untrackable? – I_

 _Yes. It goes without saying that I should be capable of throwing together such a simple modified system. – T_

 _I've just entered Chris' room. I think I'll be able to find the notebook without waking him up. – I_

NOTEBOOK?! As in, the Death Note? Does she know Chris is Kira? She must, along with whoever she's texting. This is bad. This is very bad. If she so much as touches the Death Note she'll see me. Should I wake up Chris? No, he said I shouldn't do that unless it was absolutely necessary. But does this qualify as such or not?! Shit.

 _I can see the Death Note. – I_

Before I can react, she reaches in and pulls out the notebook.

…

…

 _I've got it, it's in my hands now. – I_

 _Can you see a Shinigami? – T_

Without giving me so much as a second to prepare, Indy turns around and her deep blue eyes lock onto my red ones. What do I do? Do I say something?

'H… hi.'

At this she silently gasps and turns back to her phone.

 _I see it, I see the Shinigami. It's literally right behind me. - I_

 _Shit. What does it look like? What is it doing? Can it talk? - T_

 _Very human-like in form, resembles a teenage boy about my age, large black wings, right now it's just standing there, as if it's waiting or something. It can talk, since it just try to say "Hi" to me. – I_

 _Do you think it'll let you proceed with the plan? – T_

 _I'm scared. – I_

 _CAN YOU DO IT OR NOT?! – T_

 _…_ _Let's see. By the way, if I die I'm blaming you. – I_

In the quietest way possible, she then slowly tears off a piece from the corner of the notebook's middle-ish page. What is she planning? What is she going to do with that paper? Does she want to confirm that it's real, or does she want the person she's texting to see me as well? Or… is she going to use it on…

 _I have a piece of the Death Note. I'm going to put the rest of it back exactly where I found it now. – I_

 _Good. Great job getting the piece without waking up your brother as well. – T_

 _What if the Shinigami tells him? – I_

 _Then we're fucked. – T_

 _I'm returning to my room now. – I_

Without so much as looking in my direction again, she belly-crawls back out of the room and closes the door. So Indy and some "T" person already know that Chris is Kira, and now they'll be able to see me, plus they have enough paper to kill Chris three times over. I should've done something. This is bad.

 **(Nigel's POV)**

With Okada, Mungalo, Moorga and Aivenawa by my side, we all emerge from the elevator and approach the door to L's room…

L is on the other side of this door…

'Let me do the talking.'

'Okay, chief.'

I walk up and knock on the door.

' _Who's there?_ '

'The police.'

' _The police who?_ '

'Can we "police" ask you some questions? Hahahaha! Also let us in.'

' _What's the password?_ '

'Password?'

' _How does everyone… WHO TOLD YOU?!_ '

'Can we come in now?'

' _Only if you answer three questions._ '

'Okay.'

' _What… is your name?_ '

'Nigel Blackheart of ANPA.'

' _What… is your quest?_ '

'To hunt down Kira!'

' _What… is the capital of Mongolia?_ '

'Ulaanbaatar.'

' _Oh come on! How the hell did you know that?! Fine, come in._ '


	15. Luci

**(Nigel's POV)**

'I am L.'

The nine of us look in surprise at the man standing before us. With green eyes and black hair, he looks much younger than I, or probably anyone else, had expected. He looks very confident in meeting us, though, and from the tone of his voice I can tell that he's in a really serious mood. One by one, we all show our police IDs to him.

'I'm detective superintendent Blackheart of ANPA.'

'I'm Okada.'

'I'm Aivenawa.'

'I'm Mungalo.'

'I'm Moorga.'

'I'm-'

'BANG!' L suddenly shouts with his hand in a gunlike position, cutting off Marco.

'Huh?!'

'W-What the hell was that?!'

'If I were Kira, you'd be dead now, Director Blackheart of ANPA. All Kira needs to kill someone is knowledge of their name and face. You ought to know that by now. Common sense says you can't kill anybody just by knowing their name and face. But the fact is, criminals are dropping dead one after the other on the basis of that information alone. That is how he kills people, we have no choice but to believe it. We're the only ones left who are willing to risk our lives for this. So let's be careful about telling people our names. If you don't want to die, think.'

'… He needs to know their names? I knew about faces, but did anyone ever mention-'

'Shut up Okada, we're listening to L!'

'Rather than standing around talking, how about we move over there? Please turn off your phones, laptops and any other electronic equipment you have, and place them on that table first.'

'What? You think we got games on our phones before coming here because we were expecting a boring meeting? How could you accuse us of that?!'

'We all knew he was cautious, but this makes me wonder if he really trusts us or not.'

'It's not that. I just can't stand it when someone's phone goes off while I'm talking. Two more things. Don't write down anything I say here. Just keep it in your heads. And for the purpose of being awesome, please refer to me as "Luci" from now on.'

'Why?'

'BECAUSE! … Exactly. Now that we're all gathered here we can begin.'

As we all gather around a small table and sit at the armchairs and sofa surrounding it, I take closer note of the suite itself. The room is painted a polished white with gold trappings trailing along the edges. There are several doors and miniature hallways leading into other rooms, and the hard-wood flooring is covered with a soft, rose-covered carpet. There's an alcove set to the side with various kitchen appliances and a stainless steel sink. On the far side is an enormous window reaching all the way from the floor to the ceiling with a wide view of the business district.

As we all settle down and Q brings us coffee and additional doughnuts, Marco loudly clears his throat to divert attention.

'What do you want?'

'I believe there was promised an animal of a certain eqian variety-'

'You honestly believed I would give you a pony?! Now, all of you, please sit down… Gentlemen, you may be wondering why I gathered you all here today.'

'But we came to see you!' Replies Moorga.

'It's so that we may catch Kira! To start, do we know anything about Kira?'

'He killed ISIL!'

'We also suspect that he killed Lewis Larsson.'

'Each victim died from a heart attack.'

'There's no proof that he was ever at the scene of these murders.'

'All criminals whose name or face is unknown or has been misspelled has been spared so far.'

'He has a really badass costume.'

'4 out of 5 dentists prefer Colgate over their leading competitor!'

'…You're all completely wrong, but I like your style. What you're all missing is what each victim had in common.'

'FUCKIN' HEART ATTACKS I JUST SAID!'

'They all had… elbows.'

...

...

I had my doubts at first, but I am now sure this man is L.

'I outlined my plan to catch Kira on these documents,' He states while passing papers around the table.

'… Uhh, this is just the letter "L" over and over.'

'I don't see your point.'

'Excuse me, L?' Asks Okada.

'Hm, from now on I'll have to ask that you stop calling me L. It's "Luci" now, just to be safe.'

'Umm, okay, Luci-'

'I am L.'

'Excuse me, L?'

'Hm, from now on I'll have to ask that you stop calling me L. It's "Luci" now, just to be safe.'

'Umm, okay, Luci-'

'I am L.'

'Excuse me, L?'

'Hm, from now on I'll have to ask that you stop calling me L. It's "Luci" now, just to be safe.'

'Umm, okay, Luci-'

'SHUT UP OKADA!'

Marco is next to speak up. 'I have an idea! Wait, no, never mind, false alarm.'

'Hey, if we know that Kira needs to know people's names and faces, then can't we tell the media to omit those from their crime coverage? That could limit the number of victims.' Clovis suggests in his strong French accent.

'If we do that, ordinary people will be killed.'

'Ordinary people? Why's that?'

'Kira is childish, and he hates losing. You guessed it, I'm also childish and hate losing. That's how I know.'

'Could you explain that a little more clearly?' I request.

'That time I used the TV broadcast to challenge him, Kira, who as far as we know had only killed criminals until then, didn't hesitate to kill me… that is, the death row inmate he thought was me. Then, when I said he was in Sydney, all of his killings the next day were of criminals within Sydney, rather than around the world as usual. Every time you challenge him, instead of backing off, he cockily responds with a challenge of his own. He always has to win. He can't stand losing… what do you think would happen if we used media restrictions to shield criminals from someone like that? He'd be like, "withhold criminals from me, and I'll kill those responsible for less serious crimes! I'll even kill innocent people! I'm taking the whole world hostage!", and then he'd be like, "It'll be your fault, not mine. Those who shield evil-doers from my judgement are evil themselves!". That is Kira's mental process. If we're going to worry about the media, what we really need to shield is how few of us are hunting Kira right now. And while we're at it, let's figure out how to use the media to our benefit. Fortunately, we still have commitments from police in most countries, including Ameri-kun, to provide us with information and forensic expertise. How about something like this, for example… "World outraged at the threatened deaths of Kira investigators, G7 nations agree to send total of 9000 more into Australia for Kira manhunt." That's a whole different dimension from finding and killing less than 200 agents. Kira will start seeing enemies everywhere he goes. As he starts feeling cornered, he'll make some kind of move.'

'… I like it!'

'That's great! That way, Kira will think there are over 9000 of us, when there are really only three.'

'I think I got it… but just in case, tell me the whole thing again. I wasn't listening.'

'SHUT UP OKADA!'

'Luci, I'll send this up to the director-general's office right away.' I reply.

'But if Kira feels cornered, who knows what kind of move he'll make?' Red objects.

'Yeah, she's got a point. And you really should watch your sugar intake! It shrinks ya teeth! And it shrinks ya head! Ohh, and it shrinks ya balls-'

'Mungalo, who gave you permission to speak? And I will eat all of the damn sugar I want! It's happiness in cube form.'

'So it's… like crack?'

'Do you mind if I share my other thoughts on this case with you? Kira needs knowledge of his victim's name and face to kill them, and he can control the time of death, as well as the victim's actions before death, to a certain extent. Now, please keep those points in mind as I share the rest of my thoughts with you by drawing on this hotel's table.'

Luci then takes out a marker and writes down various dates and events as he talks.

'November 8, 124 agents enter Australia. November 14, Kira uses imprisoned criminals to carry out what are clearly tests of his ability to control victim's actions before they die. In other words, within just six days, Kira became aware of the investigator's presence. He felt threatened, and in order to uncover the identities of all the agents in Australia, whose names and faces he couldn't have known, he used criminals to test how far he could control his victims' actions. November 27, he succeeds in pulling the FBI and CIA out of Australia after correctly identifying all the agents' names and later their nationalities. The 13-day gap between the tests and the broadcast was to give the agents time to probe others, so as to draw suspicion away from himself. However, we can be sure that during those first six days, he was among those being probed here in Australia.'

'That's great. If we know this much we can catch him, even with just the eleven of us.' Okada enthusiastically replies.

'First, we should look closely at the movements of each of the 124 investigators. So, any questions...? No? Now with that over, I will assign you all cool secret agent names. Mungalo, you will now be known as Drop Bear. Okada, you will be Wonder Waffle-'

'-I have a question for you, Luci. Earlier you said that you hate losing. But by showing your face to us, aren't you admitting that Kira defeated you?' I ask.

'Yes. Showing myself means I lost. But I'll win in the end. Like yourselves, this is the first time I've staked my life on a contest. Let's show him, those of us who are risking our lives… that the status quo always wins.'

'That's right!'

'Let's show him!'

'Yeah, let's get him, L! … I mean Luci!'

'With our powers combined… we'll probably still fuck up and fail horribly.'

'Great! So before you all go home and get some sleep, I need to question all of you off-screen to make sure none of you are Kira.'

 **(Chris' POV)**

Closing the door behind me, I place an icing-covered cupcake on my desk and bloatedly flop onto the bed.

'That's a good 5 hours of "I have no fucking idea what I did". It sucks you couldn't join in, Rugo. Here, I saved a cupcake for you.'

'Thanks.'

'If you think about it, the process of singing the birthday song and cutting the cake is kinda satanic. Look at it this way: A small gathering of people huddle around an object on fire, ritualistically chanting a repetitive song in unison until the fire is blown out and a knife is stabbed into the object.'

'… Okay. So we agreed that I'd tell you today, right?'

'Huh?'

'Remember when we agreed that I'd wait until your birthday before telling you one of the most important things to know about using the Death Note?'

'Oh, right, I remember you saying that.'

'Well, here it is: When a human who has killed at least one person with a Death Note at some point during their lifetime dies… they become a Shinigami.'

'… Huh?'

'Yup. Your soul, your memories, all of it is taken from your body on Earth, and it enters a newly-born god of death.'

'… This explains a lot. You were human once, weren't you?'

'Wow that was quick. Yup, long ago I was exactly where you are now, learning about Death Notes and Shinigami for the first time. Of course, back then the _Death Note_ series didn't exist, so I was totally in the dark about it all, until she showed up…'

'"She"? What-'

'Oh, and there's another thing I should mention. Many Shinigami were born as such, and have no human origins. When they are created, they are automatically granted the Shinigami eyes. But when a human dies and becomes a Shinigami, they will only gain the eyes if they made "the eye deal" at some point in their life. Those who never made the deal at any point in their lifetime, on the other hand, don't get the eyes when they become a Shinigami and have to use special "Shinigami goggles".'

'So if I never get the eyes as a human, I won't get them by default as a Shinigami?'

'Ja. I feel sorry for those people.'

'Well, to be honest I'd suspected something along the lines of all that from the beginning, and not just because of how human-like you act. You remember how the anime has 37 episodes, and the manga has 109 chapters?'

'Ja?'

Starting up my computer, I continue. 'Well, there were also 2 movie-like story compressions titled parts 1 and 2 of "Death Note ReLight". Most of it is non-canon, with the exception of a few scenes taking place in the Shinigami world, showing an individual who is almost certainly Light Yagami.'

After going through a few folders I find an image of the aforementioned Shinigami to show to Rugo.

'Okay, I-'

…

…

'Umm, Rugo?'

'Oh, I'm just, umm, surprised how much the creators of _Death Note_ knew about all this… So, enough about that, I've been meaning to ask you something.'

'Yeah?'

'A while back you contemplated forming an official alliance with the Russian Federation. When and how are you planning to do that?'

'Actually, I've almost finished writing out the terms of such an alliance with Russia, as well as with Argentina, Belarus, Bolivia, Canada, Colombia, Cuba, Croatia, Cyprus, The Democratic Republic of the Congo, East Timor, Ecuador, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Germany, Greece, Guyana, Haiti, India, Ireland, Japan, Malaysia, Mauritania, Mexico, Panama, The Philippines, South Korea, Sweden and Vietnam, as well as separatist factions in Alaska, The Canary Islands, French Guiana, Greenland, Hawaii, Kurdistan, New, Caledonia, New England, Novorossiya, Palestine, Puerto Rico, Romano, Texas, Tibet and The Western Sahara.'

'Wow, seriously? When have you had the time for that?'

'You'll be surprised how much I can get done when you're not paying attention.'

'So, why those countries?'

'Various strategic reasons, although most of the smaller ones were chosen randomly. Remember, I need to test the reactions of various different kinds of governments and regimes to my alliance offer. I think this should give me a wide enough spread for my first trial run.'

'And what do your "offers" look like?'

'Well, as an example, my one aimed at Russia is 14 pages long, but to summarize: Bring about complete government transparency, swap out some of your high-ranking officials for less criminal-ey ones and admit to/undo all previous acts of corruption and injustice, and in return I'll use my power strategically to support your nation economically and militarily… It then goes into more detail about things relating to internet and media censorship, mass surveillance, democracy, elitists, foreign policy, nuclear weapons and enforcing the above on their Eurasian Union and CSTO allies. I'll translate it all into Russian before sending it over, the latter of which is much easier said than done.'

'… You know, sometimes I envy you. When I'm not praying for your soul, that is.'

'Well, faced with overwhelming odds, I'm only left with one option. I'm gonna have to geopolitics the shit out of this. I don't really have a choice, you know. He who moves first always wins, and I know for a fact L and his superiors are going to move soon, if they haven't already done so in the shadows that is. Personally I think Light had it easy on this front.'

'Hey Chris, speaking of politics, you wanna know something I thought up earlier today? We need a "none of the above" option in elections. If that option wins, the election is held again with all new candidates. Well, maybe we don't need it here in Australia, but I'd say America definitely does.'

'That… is the dumbest smart thing I have ever heard.'


	16. Pearl

**Another QMFM: I got my second review! Now I was originally planning to save this question for the first Q &A, but since it relates more to the world of ****_Death Note_** **in general than** ** _I, Kira_** **itself, I figured I'd just get it out of the way now. "Guest" asked:**

 **Don't shinigami normally fly everywhere?**

 **And to answer this: NO. Travel between the human and shinigami worlds can only happen under certain circumstances, which are listed in page somethingty-something of the rules of the Death Note. It should be noted, however, that these rules only apply for shinigami, and hence there is one loophole to all this…**

 **(Luci's POV)**

With the usual enthusiasm I begin.

'Alright, it looks like everyone's here so now we can begin. So, since yesterday has anyone got any new ideas?'

…

…

The silence ends with the ringing of my phone, said ringtone being _Marukaite Chikyuu_ (Prussia's version).

'Never mind, Q's calling, and he is much more interesting than you losers.'

'Hey after telling us to turn off our phones…'

…

…

'It was a text. Q's bringing me a McDonalds breakfast. Now, when he comes I want you all to be on your best behavior, and I want you to be extremely focused on the task at hand… The chief's tweeting again, isn't he?'

Shuffling across the sofa and poking my head over Blackheart's shoulder, I see what he's typing.

 _At important meeting. This Kira shit be cray cray! #ChiefSwagheart_

'You're getting real close to that promotion, chief! Keep this up and you'll reach super-chief in no time!'

At that moment the door opens, and in comes my familiar assistant.

'That's Q? Huh, thought he'd be younger.' Observes Okada.

'Yes, and I thought your mother would be prettier, but I guess we're both disappointed.'

'What about your usual outfit?' Asks Mungalo.

'This is my usual outfit. It took a few days to get all the paint off. Ordinarily I would never show my face to any of you, but L didn't tell me you were here when I came in so I might as well talk to you. I've brought what you asked for, Luci.'

'Could you hand them out, then? … These are your new IDs.'

As the badges are handed out, Clovis is the first to notice their lack of validity. His blue-green eyes locking onto mine, he asks:

'Both the name and rank here are bogus. So what are these for?'

'Kira needs to know both name and face to commit murder. Sure, we're risking our lives, but why make it easy for him? This is an obvious step to take.'

'Yes, but… I don't know about cops using false IDs.'

'No, if Kira needs to know people's names to kill them, these may help save your lives. You should use these instead of your real ones.'

'I agree.' Replies the chief, shortly followed by the rest of the Task Force.

'So, whenever you need to give your name to anyone, please use your fake ID. But make sure you don't pull them out by mistake inside ANPA. That could cause problems.'

'Understood.'

'Oh, and please wear these belts at all times.' Interrupts Q, holding open a large briefcase with the aforementioned objects inside.

'Uh, why?' Asks Okada.

'We are tired of being forced to see your boxers every day! And these are no ordinary belts. A transmitter is embedded inside the buckle. It will tell Luci where you are. And if you push the buckle with force two times, my phone will ring. I will then call you back right away. Please check in every morning at ANPA's Task Force office, as usual. Then, using this method, I will tell you if Luci and I have relocated, and if so, where. You can also use this in an emergency.'

As everyone (including myself) gets up from the sofas and armchairs surrounding the table and begin putting on the metallic belts, Okada is the first to comment.

'Wow, it's like we're a top secret squad assigned to go after Kira!'

'Well, you aren't wrong. Oh, and one more thing. There's nobody in ANPA's Task Force office right now. That's no good. Take turns so one of you is always over there. Actually, no, to minimize the risks let's just have one person checking the office every hour or so.'

'But who will that be?'

Everyone suddenly turns to face the one who asked, and I answer.

'I already sense a disturbance at Task Force headquarters. Okada, go investigate it.'

 **(Okada's POV)**

Damn Luci, always giving me the shittiest tasks. Well, actually, I suppose this isn't too bad. I mean, I get to be alone for a bit… still, I really am hating the way I'm being treated, and this freezing wind isn't exactly lightening the mood. Then again, at least I'm being paid well for all this.

Finally arriving at the ANPA office, I see a young woman conversing with one of the reception people.

'No, it has to be in person. I can't leave a message.'

'How many times do I have to tell you this? There's nobody in the Kira task force office right now.' The man behind the counter replies.

'But I made an appointment with them last week. How could nobody be there?'

'I'm sorry, but I don't know.'

Why's she being so insistent about seeing the task force? If it's something important, then I may have arrived just in time.

'I'm Yatsuk Okada, one of the remaining agents on the Kira case. I have a direct connection with the head of the Task Force, so if you'd like, I can put you in touch with him. His cell phone seems to be turned off right now, though, so it would have to be later… A lot of people have quit the Task Force since Kira threatened to kill the foreign agents we sent in. To say that they're under-staffed right now would be an understatement.' As I call chief Blackheart, the reception man rapidly responds.

'Okada! That isn't something you should be telling-'

'Soon it'll be common knowledge. News like this gets around fast.'

'That's true, but…'

'And anyway, I know I can trust this woman. Her eyes tell me I can. Plus, from what I've seen right now she's a very cautious person. The fact Kira uncovered the identities of the agents indicate there are problems within ANPA. That's why she wants to speak directly to the Task Force. She's not taking any chances.'

Focusing my attention to the girl, I continue. 'The director will call me when he hears my voice mail. If you can wait, feel free to talk to him then. Of course, you have to trust the director and I, or this isn't going to work.'

'Is it really okay?'

'Sure. I can't tell you the director's cell phone number, but if you talk to him on my phone, I don't see why not.'

'Thank you.'

As we sit down on the nearby seats, I can't help but think that if my hunch is right and she knows something useful, and I'm the first to tell the others about it, then perhaps they'll begin to respect me.

'So why do you want to see the Task Force anyway?' I ask.

'I have valuable info on Kira.'

'…The way I figure it, Kira has far greater powers than people think.'

'I've noticed too. That's why I'm here.'

'You've noticed that too? That's amazing, but this isn't the place to be… ANPA might be dangerous now. How about I show you were we're really headquartered? That way you can speak to the rest of the investigation team in person, but we have a ways to walk though.'

'Sure, great, let's go!'

Together we leave the building and begin slowly walking over to the Task Force Hotel. As we do so I get my first undistracted glimpse of the woman herself. She has bright green eyes and black hair, and I can't tell how she's staying warm in that leather clothing. From what I could hear of her accent earlier, I'm guessing she's American.

'The way I see it, Kira… um, would you mind telling me your name? Like I said before, I'm Yatsuk Okada.'

'For safety reasons I won't state my full name, but you can call me Pearl.'

'I think Kira can do more than just kill people. It seems to me he can control their actions before they die.'

'That's… that's what I think! I didn't realize anybody else had-'

'Some of the criminals who died have done unusual things before their death, writing indecipherable suicide notes for example.'

'Yes. Kira can control what people do before they die, but that's not all. If my analysis is right, Kira can kill people using means other than heart attacks. I don't think anybody else had realized this. But if the police go after Kira with that in mind, I think they can catch him.'

'He can kill people using means other than heart attacks? I never thought of that myself. But if you're right, the killings Kira wants to keep secret would be committed with those other means.'

'Exactly. I'm pretty sure someone I know met Kira.'

…

What?! Is she serious?!

...

'Someone you know met Kira? Heh, sorry, it's just that you'd have a pretty hard time convincing the police of that.'

'I know. That's why I want to explain my reasoning to the Task Force, in detail.'

'But if your friend actually met Kira, shouldn't he or she be the one talking to the Task Force?'

'He can't do that. He was one of the FBI agents sent to shadow potential suspects, back before Kira forced the bureau out of Australia. And he's also my husband. He told me he got mixed up in a bus-jacking. But out of what I can only assume is fear, he refuses to tell anybody else. If my hunch is correct, Kira was on that bus, and now that he's messed with my husband I won't rest for a moment until he is either dead, or wishing he'd be! And I'll do everything in my power to help the police in achieving that goal.'

'But why do you think Kira was on that bus?'

'The busjacker was a killer who died when he was run over by a car. If what I'm thinking is correct, and it usually is, the busjacking was a trap to get information on the FBI from my husband.'

'… So one guy dies from something other than a heart attack, and that's why you think Kira can use other means to kill people? That seems like kind of a big leap to me.'

'No, Kira for sure controlled the busjacker, I know it. Ever since I heard about that busjacking, it nagged at me. So I casually asked my husband about it later. He never said who it was, but he did tell me this. He showed his fake FBI ID to some other passengers. He said he had no choice. He was on a top-secret mission, unknown to most of the Australian police. He was under strict orders not to show anyone his ID. He made me swear I wouldn't mention this, or the busjacking, to anybody. That's why I'm convinced he was the one who tipped Kira off to the presence of the FBI in Australia.'

'So you're saying that Kira made the criminal hijack a bus to get your husband to reveal his identity. And then, the busjacker was run over by a car, which means Kira doesn't only use heart attacks to murder people. Your deduction is based on facts known only to the two of you, and you have no proof. Still, I agree it's worth looking into. Your testimony will mean a lot to the Task Force. Right now we're at a total loss, so this could really help the investigation.'

'I hope so.'

'And if what you say turns out to be right, I agree with you that we'll be able to catch Kira. Because if you are right, Kira was one of the people your husband showed his ID to on the bus. So, have you told everybody else?'

'No, you're the first one.'

'And when exactly did this happen?'

'November 20th, sometime around midday or the early afternoon. It happened on Bus no. 7 on route to Sealand-land. Again, thank you for this, I hope the rest of your team listens as well as you do.'

'Well, I can't give any grantees either way.'

'What do you mean by that?'

'Don't you think it was strange that nobody was in the Task Force office?'

'Well, yes. I did think it was strange.'

'The Kira investigation Task Force is using this new system to keep its members and whereabouts a secret. And things won't get easier once we reach the hotel where we're really stationed. If detectives on this case go around meeting anybody who comes in, we could see a major tragedy.'

'So then how come you showed up?'

'Every now and then, I have to check up on the ANPA office in case anything happens. There was a vote between the eleven of us to see who'd take that role and, well, ten of those votes were for me.'

'Wait… THERE'S ONLY ELEVEN OF YOU?!'

'Well, the Task Force has lost a lot of members. Detectives have been quitting in fear of their lives, and the force today is a small team of trusted, highly qualified people.'

'Come to think of it, by talking to you, I've spoken to a member of the Task Force, and that's as good as speaking directly to L. That's good enough for me. If this means my insights will be passed on to L, that's all I care about. I worked with him myself, earlier this year. That was in America of course, and it was one of his first ever cases. But I know from that experience that I can trust him one hundred percent, and that he really can solve any crime, including this one.'

'You worked with L?'

'Yes. Like my husband, I'm an FBI agent.'

'You are? Well, that explains it! No wonder your actions and your determination to catch Kira are so professional. I'm really impressed by your sharp analysis, and also your caution, your prudence.'

'With regard to this case, I decided it would be dangerous to trust the police, and even the Task Force. But you say it's being commanded by L, and L has my complete trust. I thought if I went to the Task Force office and had them verify my identity, they would let me speak to L directly.'

'I see, but then why did you tell me what should have been for L's ears only? I mean, for all you knew I could've been Kira and this whole situation could've gone in a completely different direction.'

'… I was upset they wouldn't let me through to the Task Force. And just then, someone saying he's on the force shows up, and that person… reminded me of L. I feel that you and he are similar, somehow.'

What? She, did she just compare me to L? I… that's the nicest thing anyone's said to me all week. Dammit, why do all the girls like her have to be taken already?! In any case, I'll just respond politely.

'… Heh, I wouldn't say that. Until this case started I was just a student in Japan. Clearly you've mistaken me for someone who has their shit together, and honestly I have no idea how you did that...

…

…

… Listen, Pearl, would you like to join the investigation?'

'What?!'

'Why don't you join us in the Task Force? That way, you can work directly with L. Not just that, you can personally help bring Kira to justice. Like I mentioned earlier, we're really short of people. But we can't take just anybody. You're exactly the kind of person we need. Why stop at only providing this information? With your career background as an FBI agent, you're already more qualified than most of us. And you've even worked with L before. He may already trust you! All you need now is proof of your identity, the recommendation of a present Task Force member, and L's permission. And I'll give you the recommendation you need to join us! …Oh, excuse me. I got kind of carried away.'

'Not at all.'

Wait, what the hell am I thinking?! If something were to happen to her, I have no doubts all the blame would go on me! And that's just the start of it. As the only remaining Japanese detective on the case, I wouldn't just be letting down my friends, family and sensei if she were to die on my watch, but I'd be letting down my entire country. I can't let that happen, I need to change her mind.

'Even if you somehow joined on a flexible basis, I realize you must have other commitments. Plus, I gather you live in the United States.'

'Well, my husband and I don't have any permanent place of residence. It makes our jobs easier to just move from place to place depending on where we're needed. So that's not in the way of me joining the investigation.'

With the last patches of blue sky being shrouded behind dark grey clouds and the faint sound of thunder in the distance, I make a last-ditch attempt to get her to reconsider.

'But you're still a beautiful young woman, and this really is a very dangerous case-'

'No! I have nothing to lose here! I want to get Kira! It's the only thing that matters to me anymore! Besides, running away isn't my style. Please let me join the investigation.'

Well, if she's still this insistent on joining the force, then there's nothing I can say that will stop her.

'… If it is what you want, then I will. If you could just show me some official form of identification?'

'Is a driver's license good enough?'

'Yes.'

As she pulls the aforementioned object out of her jacket, I take note of the surroundings, just to make sure no-one's watching us. Luckily the whole street is completely empty, with the exception of a single teenage boy talking into his phone as he walks past us. Focusing back on the license, I comment:

'Pearl Parson. That's a nice name.'

'Thank-'

*BEEP* *BEEP*

'Hey! The chief's phone is back on!'

-Beep-

'Hey, chief, I've got good news!'

 **(Nigel's POV)**

'Luci, it's from Okada. He says he's on the line with someone who has important information.'

'All right. Tell him the number for line five, and have him ask the person to call back there. Mungalo, you can turn your phone back on. That is, please turn it on.'

'Huh? Oh, okay.'

Mungalo's phone instantly begins ringing but before anyone can react, Luci snatches it out of his hand.

'Yes, this is Lu- I mean, the head of the information processing unit for the Kira case… Pearl Parson? I've heard that name before. That's right, I remember working on her in the case with the BB gun murderer…'

\- (A FEW MOMENTS LATER) -

'Okay, I'm hanging up on you now…'

-Beep-

'What was that about?' I ask.

'When one of the FBI agents entered Australia, his wife was with him. And apparently she says…'

\- (ONE RETELLING OF PEARL'S STORY LATER) -

'Here's what we do. We're narrowing our investigation down to those who were on the bus Pearl mentioned, with an emphasis on those Ryan Parson was probing at all times prior. That's very few people. However, since it's quite possible that Kira is one of them, calling them in for questioning is not going to work. It's too dangerous. Our focus will be on four suspects, and their families. Ryan Parson reported there were "no grounds for suspicion" for any of them, but nevertheless, inside those four homes, we will place secret cameras and listening devices.'

Mungalo is the first to react.

'WH-WHAT?! THIS IS AUSTRALIA! THAT'S TOTALLY ILLEGAL!'

'Yeah, that's going too far, Luci! If word of that got out, there'd be a huge scandal. We'd all be fired, if not worse.'

'So you won't risk your jobs? I thought you were willing to risk your _lives_ for this.'

'…Who were the four suspects that Parson was probing?' I calmly inquire.

'Let's see, that's before November 20th… damn, I really need to organize all these papers… umm, yep, okay, I found it. The four suspects were Alexander Rockley, Christian Atarashimono, Connor Summer and Kallet Vimerica. All of them were tenth grade students present at Forbes High School on the 25th, but only the latter two were at the Justin Bieber concert the day prior. I'd like to place bugs and hidden cameras in all four of those homes, because honestly I'm running out of ideas.'

'If this gets out, they'll dismantle the Task Force.' Aivenawa objects.

'I promise you, nobody will ever find out. Besides, stuff like this happens all the time where I'm from.'

'… Luci, what is the probability of Kira being in one of those families?'

'Well, I'm still not completely rejecting the possibility of Kira being another one of the passengers on that bus, so at this point I'd say the probability of Kira being one of the occupants of one of the four households in question is about… sixty percent. No, fifty percent.'

'Just fifty percent?! It should be at least eighty percent for that extreme step!' Aivenawa argues.

'No', I reply, 'Our investigation hasn't turned up anything close to a suspect so far. Even a probability of one percent is better than that, and needs to be scrutinized. Go ahead. But if we do this, I insist we go all the way. I want bugs and cameras in the bathrooms, hallways, every inch of each house so that nothing is missed!'

'We can ignore the bathrooms. I doubt that's where Kira does his thing, and while I may be evil, I'm not a pervert. So here's my plan from here on out, once Pearl's on board. Two of us will be watching each household, two will try to identify everyone who was on the bus, and one will occasionally check up on the ANPA office. Q will continue to do as he's been doing up until now. The bugs and cameras will be in place for two weeks, although they'll be deactivated on Christmas and/or New Year's. This period may be shortened or extended, depending on the circumstances. In either case, I'll tell you about it. You have my word I will not extend it secretly. Q, how long will it take to get the bugs, cameras and monitors ready?'

'They might take a while to get here, but once they are then they can be installed any time, once we know when nobody will be home. If I were to guess, I'd say the latter is the hard part, considering that we have to do this in four houses.'

'Good. So we'll need at least four monitoring rooms set up in our next hotel. Once the bugs and cameras are in place, we'll move over there. And considering the circumstances, I think we won't need to move again once we're there, although the sooner we are there, the better. Kira is probably making another ingenious move even as we speak…'

 **(Chris' POV)**

'Is your refrigerator running?'

' _Uhh, yeah._ '

'Great, so is mine! I'll see you at the refrigerator race tomorrow!'

-Beep-

'Chris!'

'Rugo!'

'Catch!'

'It's invisible!'

'Oh god.'

'Ahhh!'

'Ahhh!'

'Ahhh! … Oh, hey, look at this. It appears some of the deleted footage from the Death Note live-action movie been released. Although I'd prefer if they just deleted the entire thing.'


	17. Presidents

**Yet another QMFM: Well, I got my third review. That's two in just one month, which means things must be going okay I guess. Alexis Vance said:**

 **The memes are strong in this one...**

 **Also nice work, this is the best death note fanfiction I've read since Stalin.**

 **Based on this I have not the slightest idea how much Alexis read, or exactly which memes he is referring to, but hey, vague comments are better than no comments! Now without further ado, let's begin.**

 **(Chris' POV)**

After two hours, I think we're finally almost here. I must say, this outback heatwave really isn't my kind of thing, but I should really be glad this facility even exists in the first place.

'Look around, Chris... At all these big-ass trees.'

'Yes, Rugo, there are trees. Now I just need to find a place to park up.'

Such a place turns out to be the side of one of the many Eucalyptuses that keep the abandoned mafia base hidden from anyone who didn't know what they were looking for. After turning off the engine I jump off and begin unloading everything from the back of the motorcycle, which is technically Indy's but she let me borrow it.

'This is what were we've been going for the last two hours? All I see is an abandoned warehouse, a weirdly-shaped building and a cleared-out strip of flat-'

'Don't judge a book by its cover. After all, my math textbook has a picture of someone enjoying themselves on it and I have never gotten any enjoyment out of it.'

'So, Chris, now that we're in a really sketchy-looking area in the middle of nowhere, what's your plan for getting these "diplomatic payloads" around the world?'

'Everything we need is in here' I reply as I put my hand on the scanner at the entrance of the warehouse. Luckily they don't seem to have removed me from their databases after my defection last year, so I should be granted access to everything without raising any alarm bells.

'… Could you expand on that?'

'In the mafia, they realized long ago that transporting extremely valuable or highly classified items by land or sea is impractical, due to the ever-growing risk of said items being intercepted. So, with equipment purchased and stolen from their allies in the greater Middle East region, they developed a new system, which uses two vehicles to transport a payload to any location on Earth from any of the mafia's dozens of scattered bases like this one.' I explain, leaning into the eye scanner.

'So then why is this all abandoned?'

'Following my ascension to Kira, the mafia has seen significant losses in both manpower and finances. This base was abandoned following their recent budget cuts, and they can't risk thinning themselves out too much by having someone watch guard over every single base they abandon.' I finally type in the universal entry password, and the door opens.

'Then why hasn't anyone else taken over this place?'

'There are very few people outside the mafia who know about these locations, and even if they did, they need membership in order to pass all the security systems. Even I wouldn't have been allowed in if they had simply updated their databases.'

Entering the warehouse, I can't see anything inside as the only light entering the massive space is that coming through the doorway. I immediately search the wall to try and find the light switch.

'So, how does this transportation system work?'

Identifying the switch, I answer, 'There are two main elements to it, here's the first.'

After a few seconds of flickering, the first set of lights illuminate half of the warehouse.

'…Rockets?'

'The smaller a missile is, the harder it is to detect, let alone intercept. After countless hours of trial, error, simulations and engineering mishaps, this is what they came up with. Each of these is 260 centimeters long, 50 centimeters wide and has a total mass of 140.5 kilograms once a 4 kilogram payload is added. There is one drawback, though. These use engines fueled by Liquid Hydrogen and Liquid Oxygen, so while they perform brilliantly at high altitudes, they're almost useless if launched from the ground. Even if we launched it from the highest mountain in Australia, its range would still be rather limited. That's where the other half of the system comes in.' I flip the second switch, and the lights on the other side reveal two large iconic aircraft.

'Wow, are these drones? I didn't think they'd be so big!'

'The MQ-9, codename "Reaper". Originally designed by the United States military for combat operations, one of these can carry 12 of the aforementioned missiles to a distance of 1850 kilometers and an altitude of eight, before releasing them and letting their own propulsion systems carry them the rest of the way. From that altitude, the missiles have a range of fifteen thousand kilometers, so the global coverage from the system as a whole is almost total. Of course, this is all very expensive. Depending on who you ask, the cost of a single drone can range from fifteen to thirty-seven million dollars, and despite being the most powerful organized crime faction in history and having connections to every major terrorist group in the world, the mafia as a whole has less than fifty of them. And while I do not know how much the missiles cost, I imagine it is well over a hundred thousand dollars each.'

'But since this facility is abandoned and all the stuff is already here, we can do it for free, right?'

'Of course. My plan is actually rather simple. We fly the first drone with its payload of twelve missiles, each carrying a message in physical form, then as that drone is refueling and those missiles are on their way to our target nations, we launch the second with a second load of missiles.'

'Wait, don't drones need two pilots?'

'On this mission it'll only need one, myself, but I might want your help when the missiles are deployed from the drone halfway through each flight.'

'But I don't know anything about any of that!'

'If there's something you don't understand, learn to understand it. I can teach you how to do your part. If you don't get the hang of it quickly enough, I can do it all myself, it'll just be a bit harder. All in all, this whole operation should only take about… twenty-four hours. I have already convinced my mum that I'll be at a sleepover at a friend's house, and we can use the control tower's sleeping quarters, plus I've brought all the food, games, manga and anime we'll need.'

'Are you sure about this? I mean, you could end up kidnapped. Or worse, the night could be really awkward.'

'Stop worrying, it'll be fine. Well then, let's get started. First, we need to clear up the airstrip. I'll go find some brooms.'

 **(Ivan's POV)**

(Note: All the dialogue in this next scene is in Russian, but for convenience and because I don't know the language myself, I've written it all out in English)

I'm usually the most unruffled of men, but these weekly meetings always put me on edge. In line with my training in the former KGB I'm systematic, pay careful attention to detail, and take nothing for granted. Clutching my briefing papers and notebook to my chest, I knock twice on the ornate, gilded double doors of the Russian president's office. The doors are opened soundlessly by two soldiers in the ceremonial uniform of the Kremlin honor guard. Imposing, chosen for their impeccable Slavonic looks and almost as tall as myself, they are the men of the 154th Preobrazhensky Independent Commandant's Regiment, the men who protect the Russian president.

I enter the room, pause momentarily to dip my head in salute and walk forward. The room is Spartan, minimalist, the only concession to extravagance being the green curtains edged in gold and tied in black ropes. Behind the president's chair there is only one decoration, the gold double-headed eagle on a red shield. The desk is huge but empty of any papers, except what looks like a report from defense minister Shoygu. A long conference table juts out at right angles from the desk towards the door.

Behind the desk sits the president, Vladimir Putin. As his chief of staff and regular judo partner I know him well, to the point where his blank, emotionless stare isn't even very intimidating to me.

'Vladimir Putin, before we start the meeting there's something I should let you know of.' I say as I place my papers on the table in front of my chair.

'And that is?'

'About twelve hours ago, a missile impacted the Ural Mountains within eyeshot of one of our military bases there.'

The president says nothing, which means he is still assessing how to react.

'It was too small to be picked up on radar or any of our other missile detection systems,' I continue. 'In fact, no-one even knew it was coming until they saw its reentry flame as it bursted back into the Earth's atmosphere.'

'…Which direction was it coming from? If this is some NATO operation then we must-'

'Actually, from what I've seen in the preliminary reports, it wasn't coming from the direction of Europe or North America at all. A team has been sent to try and locate the crash site, and one of my assistants is currently watching the situation live. He'll report back as soon as there are any updates.'

'I see. A single missile, too small to be detected, launched away from any NATO member state, and it just hit the mountain without exploding in a fireball or anything. Am I hearing that right?'

'Yes.'

'Hmm, sounds interesting. NATO or not, I doubt it was launched as an attack by any of our enemies since there was only one, and I know for a fact that's not how they'd make their opening move. So it must be something else. Well, I suppose we'll find out later. So, Ivan Komarov, before we begin... What are your plans for New Year's?'

'Well, I'm planning to spend the day with my family out in the east. You?'

'To be honest I haven't put much thought into it yet. I've been too preoccupied with the amount of work I have to do to really think that far ahead. It's been one difficult year, I must say.'

'…May I now call the meeting?' I request as I pass him an agenda and an updated brief, and he nods in agreement.

The double doors are again opened by the guards and Putin's Deputy, Foreign minister, Finance minister, Interior minister, Defense minister and Chief of the Russian General Staff enter. The president himself remains seated.

'Sit.' He commands, and I take my habitual seat as note taker at the foot of the table. From here I can see Putin and the others directly. The others take their usual places at the table, and we all eagerly wait for the president to speak, wondering who would be his first target for today. We don't have to wait long, and he first turns to the Defense Minister.

'Sergey Shoygu, I've already read the report on the situation in Eastern Ukraine and am content that it remains relatively quiet.'

Moving swiftly on he turns his laser-like stare to the Finance Minister. 'You next, please.'

From my position at the back of the table I see the sweat on the back of the minister's half-bald head. 'Vladimir Putin, it pains me to tell you that our economic position is getting increasingly difficult. Western sanctions continue to have a deeply negative effect on the economy-'

Putin interrupts, 'See this room that you're sitting in? It's a bullshit free zone. These are old excuses, Anton Siluanov. EU sanctions have become toothless since the Italians, Greeks, Hungarians and Cypriots vetoed them at the EU summit in June. The union remains deeply divided. Heh, the western strategy of increasing the flow of refugees out of Syria by bombing civilian targets seems to be backfiring, it seems.'

'Of course, Vladimir Putin', continues the minister, 'Nevertheless, the price of oil remains a problem. You will remember that my budget was based on a price of one hundred dollars per barrel, but the price has been consistently lower than that. There's still a glut of oil on the market following the easing in sanctions against Iran after the nuclear negotiations in Lausanne last year, and this Iranian oil is pushing prices even further. That means we're losing around forty billion dollars a year because of the sanctions and around ninety to one hundred billion dollars a year because of the low oil price. On top of all that, the increase in defense spending has put a huge strain on the budget. Vladimir Putin, there is no other way to describe the economic situation than very difficult.'

'So what can we do about it?'

'Well, I think we have several options. They're all terrible, but they're options. Unless the price of oil goes back up, which no economist believes it will in the near future, we either have to cut spending or raise taxes to keep the deficit down to our projected 0.6% of GDP. And if we don't do that, we have no option but to borrow at increasingly expensive rates, which will only make the situation worse. The ruble is losing value, the forecast for growth from the central bank is zero and GDP is static at best.'

'…Well, fuck. Vladimir Kolokoltsev, what impact is this having on public opinion?'

The Interior minister answers, 'Vladimir Putin, you know better than anyone the resilience of the Russian people, and how we know how to suffer and even take pride in being able to endure the hardest conditions. But even the most resilient are beginning to tire of high prices, the shortage of consumer goods in shops… people just aren't as tough as in Soviet days. And on top of that we have increasing unemployment and increased levels of poverty among the jobless.'

The president waves a hand in dismissal. '…Well, as much as I hate to say it, this is a fact of Russian life. It sets us apart from the softness and excesses of the west. But what about the so-called opposition? They can hardly call themselves credible if, nearly two years later, no-one has yet emerged to take that agitator's place.'

'I regret, Vladimir Putin, that his death last year created a martyr and a focus for our opposition, which has flamed up in some places since our last meeting.'

'It had to be done,' Putin snaps back, 'He was a dangerous and destabilizing figure.'

'Of course, but his name still poses a threat. The memorial to him where he was killed is regularly removed by the police, but someone keeps putting it back.'

…

…

'… At this point, I think our only option is to give the people pride in Russian power, as we did when we liberated Crimea two years ago. That is the way to restore morale and to reduce the opposition.'

'But how? NATO continues to pose a danger to Russia, it continues to encroach on our borders and its long-term strategy of encirclement of the motherland is plain to see.' Points out the president's Deputy.

'We are all agreed that they are an existential threat, but what about its capabilities?' Putin responds as he subtly takes a small bottle of vodka out of his desk.

'Well, as discussed in our previous meetings, NATO could, at any time, pose a real and present danger to Russia. And just as worrying, the Baltics and Norway could offer them a convenient launch pad for an attack on us, and we aren't the slightest bit prep-'

At that moment the doors burst open, and my assistant proclaims:

'You're all really gonna want to see this! The recovery team found the missile, and inside it was a message from Kira! He's offering us an alliance!'

Putin spits out his vodka in shock, and the rest of us just stare in surprise, unsure of how to respond.

'…Oh, and I'm sorry about interrupting your meeting, by the way.'

'Wait, what's this "missile" you're talking about?' Asks the interior minister.

'I'll tell you later,' I answer. 'So… what exactly was the message? Has its origin and sender been confirmed?'

'Well, we managed to trace back the missiles position, and we've found its most likely launch point as being located in inland Australia, not far from Sydney where Kira is rumored to live!'

'How soon can we see it ourselves?' Demands the president.

'The whole message, including all the terms of the agreement, is written inside a briefcase with strict instructions not to open it until it's in the Kremlin. We can probably get it to Moscow within a few days, although depending on how rough the weather is out in the Urals, it could take a lot longer. On the bright side, the message says we can take as long as we want before responding, so long as it's within a few months.'

'Well... this changes everything.'

 **(Barack's POV)**

'Let's be eating burritos when he shows up, and wear massive sombreros…'

'…This is the part where I say "maybe" but I definitely mean "No".'

'And how about orange face paint?'

'Joe, we're not-'

 ***BEEP* *BEEP***

'Oh, that reminds me! You know he needs an official government phone, right? I'll give him a Note 7.'

'But Joe, don't those…'

'Exactly.'

-Beep-

'Hello?'

' _Mr President, we've just intercepted and destroyed a missile over Hawaii. Its size and dimensions don't match that of any known weapon, at least none currently in use in any of the world's militaries._ '

'Wait, where-'

'Can I put whoopee cushions under all the chairs before he gets here?'

'Joe, I'm on the phone.'

'Well you didn't say no, so…'

'Where was the missile coming from? This may very well be-'

' _Based on its trajectory it seems to have been launched from eastern Australia._ '

'Oh. So it's not an attack from one of our enemies?'

' _No, sir, it can't be._ '

…Dammit, I was really hoping this would give me one last chance to push the button.

'So, what did it contain?'

' _No idea. We completely destroyed it before anyone thought to check._ '

'Does anyone know who could've launched it?'

' _Not yet. I'll keep you updated on any new developments._ '

'Okay. Bye.'

-Beep-

'Joe… what did you do over there?'

'I've superglued a drawer shut then left a post-it note on it saying "secret Muslim agenda". It'll kill him.'

With a disappointed sigh I try to change the topic. 'You know, I didn't think he'd be late.'

'I gave him the wrong address.'

'Joe, he's the president-elect.'

'Idgaf what they call him. If I'm ever questioned about it I'll just say fuck you. Also, while you were talking on the phone I left a fake Kenyan birth certificate on your bed in an envelope labeled "SECRET", just to fuck with him.'

'Joe…'

'Oh, and I put a prayer rug in your bedroom. He's gonna fuckin' lose it!'

'Dammit Joe.'

If it was only one missile, and no harm was done, then why was I informed about it so quickly? He said it was coming from the direction of Australia, isn't that were "Kira" is from? At this point, I can't think of any other way this could-

'So during your monologue I've reprogrammed all the TV's in the White House for when he arrives.'

'Joe, I'm trying to think.'

'All channels now speak Spanish with Arabic subtitles.'

I mean, right now no-one even knows much about Kira, let alone how he's become so powerful is such a short amount of time. To think that he didn't even exist until just two months ago… but if there is one thing he has made clear it's that he is a threat to us, perhaps greater than any we have faced in modern history. And he not only knows but has publicly mentioned topics such as our civilian disarmament goals, our terrorist alliances, the genocides, media control and human rights abuses of our allies, our enemies' pacifism, police brutality, cancer cure suppression, MLK's assassination, the rigged elections, the Bilderberg's and god knows what else. And, as the man himself said back in his debut broadcast:

' _Off the top of my head I can name three kinds of people that are going to oppose me: Those who think any killing is wrong under any circumstances, those who think the law – which, to simplify, says any killing is wrong under any circumstances – must always be followed and is never wrong, and those who don't want power to lie in the hands of an uncorruptable force they can't negotiate with, or even identify. That last group will probably include all the world's richest and most powerful people, and I'm very glad this power wasn't given to one of them._ '

Dammit, he knew exactly what we were going to think, and now we can't even overflow his defenses by sending in more agents to help with the case! We are literally-

'So I saran wrapped all of the toilet seats and put Nair in his shampoo bottle.'

'Joe, please, no. Just no.'

'You're right, it's a toupee. Nair won't work.'

And what about this "L" person? I have met him before, and I know his father like the back of my hand, and I know that he's a good detective with an excellent record of successes. But whether or not he is the world's most capable one or not is debatable, and I know for a fact that he wouldn't have been chosen for this had he been an ordinary detective with and ordinary background and-

Looking out the oval office's window, Joe adds, 'I also just changed the White House Wi-Fi password to "ILoveMexicans" so he'll never have service.'

'…Okay, I will admit that's a good one, Joe.'

'I also hid all the pens in the White House.'

'Why?'

'Because he's bringing his own.'

'… I don't get it.'

'HE'S BRINGING HIS OWN PENCE.'

'Joe, you are the most ridiculous Vice President I have ever had.'

'I'm the only Vice President you've ever had… Oh boy, his car is here, quick let's all hide.'


	18. Christmas

**(Chris' POV)**

'Rugo, how do I look?'

'With your eyes, Chris.'

As I put on my helmet and Santa hat, I remark, 'You know, I suppose being Kira is a bit like being Santa. I mean, I'm making a list, I'm checking it twice, gonna find out who's naughty or nice…'

'Oh, that reminds me. Do you remember your lines?'

'Of course I do, we've been practicing and rehearsing since the airfield!'

'Yeah, that was a fun sleepover.'

'I'd hardly call it a "sleepover" Rugo. For one thing, we were the only ones there.'

'No we weren't! Remember the family of wallabies we found behind the control tower?'

'…my point exactly. Alright, now we just need to record our video, deliver it to _Tomorrow's Today Tonight_ , and if nothing bad happens we should be back before Indy or mum wake up.'

'Wait, do I have to carry you there again? I mean, you're really heavy and it's such a long way to-'

'Don't complain unless you've got a better idea.'

 **(Indy's POV)**

'You know, I'm really glad you could come over, Katashi.'

'Well, I don't really have much of a family to celebrate it with, so I figured I'd come here. I mean, your mum is fine with it and your brother doesn't have a say in the matter.' He replies with that charming voice of his, his shiny brown eyes staring into mine.

'Heh, well, mum's still making pancakes and Chris probably isn't even awake yet, so what should we do in the meantime?'

'Hmm…'

(Twenty minutes later)

' _Twas the nizzle before Christmizzle, and all through the hizzle, not a creature was stirring, not even a mizzle, fo shizzle. All were awaiting Sizzle Clause and his bag, to bring the good homies and bitches their swag._ '

Suddenly the two of us are interrupted from watching Snoop Dog's Christmas video by the sound of an impending Skype call.

'Umm, let me just get that.'

-Beep-

'Hello?'

' _Hey, Indy, I just wanted to… wait, who's that?_ '

'This is my boyfriend Katashi. Katashi, this is Tom, my-'

'Yeah, yeah, I know. Look, kid, she's already told me about the whole Kira thing you two are working on, and I just want to make it clear now that I couldn't care less about any of that, so long as nothing bad happens to my girl here.'

Visually speaking, the two of them strongly contrast one another. While the Albino that is Thomas Blackheart prefers to wear white or lightly-colored clothing, and is rather small due to his age, Katashi here is tall, has brown hair and a dark grey-blue jacket covering a black shirt.

' _So… How'd you two meet?_ '

'Well, it's a bit of a funny story. I first met him about half a year ago at target when he asked if I could hold his hand because his ex just walked in with a new guy, so naturally I felt bad and held his hand while strolling around target for a bit. Then it donned on me, with no other couple in sight, and U must say that was the best damn pick up line I've ever heard. So, enough about that, any updates?'

' _Nope. For three weeks, no details whatsoever of the investigation have been entered into my dad's computer, or any of ANPA's for that matter. This indicates there've been some major changes. Personally I'm quite surprised that absolutely nothing new is coming in from anywhere I can hack into._ '

'My brother has a notebook that kills people! Hell, nothing surprises me anymore.'

' _So, I just called to wish you all a merry Christmas, and also to ask you something._ '

'What?'

' _Look, this is just something I want your opinion on. You don't have to give an answer if you don't want to, but-_ '

'JUST SAY IT!'

' _…_ _Why aren't IPhone chargers called apple juice?_ '

'…'

'…'

'…'

(From downstairs) '…'

'…'

(In German) '…'

'…'

'…You know, that's actually a good question. Indy's smart, she might know.'

'Please, you don't have to say that.'

'Well according to that story you told me the other day, you _were_ the first in your entire year group to read and write.'

' _Wait, what story?_ '

'Should I tell him?'

'Sure, tell him.'

'Once in kindergarten a girl asked me to write "super girl" on her arm since I was the only literate kid so I wrote "shit" and I hid under the table for like half an hour while she was showing it to everyone.'

After a few seconds Tom bursts into laughter, something I don't think I've seen him do before. It takes nearly half a minute for him to calm down.

' _Oh, you… I wish I could've done that. Dammit, I wish I were more like you Indy!_ '

'Oh, you think I'm a good role model? About three months ago I took a poison ivy plant and rubbed it all over Kallet's car, but what I didn't expect was that she was carpooling three of her bitch friends with her to the mall. The next day the four of them came in covered in rashes and had to give the PE teacher a note because it had spread to unsavory places. And so did at least twelve of the football players.'

' _You are the BEST role model what are you talking about?!_ '

'If you find that funny, you should hear about the time I planted a miniature garden inside my rival's keyboard. Or the time Viper and I filled Oreos with toothpaste and gave them to everyone at school. Or the time a loaded a community fountain with dish soap. Or the time-'

At that moment the door violently swings open, and mum enters.

'Or, from my childhood, the time I swapped out all the firefighter's water tanks for tanks of rocket fuel!'

'What the hell mum?! You don't just barge in here without knocking!'

'Mrs. Atarashimono-'

'Please, just call me Haumea. Same with you, Tom. "Mrs. Atarashimono" makes me sound old.' Wait, how does she know who Tom is?

' _Haumea, I didn't think you were into this stuff as a kid as well?_ '

'Who do you think my kids got it from? Also, you two, the pancakes are ready. I'll go wake up your brother.'

'No need, I'm awake.' My half-asleep brother responds as he leaves his room and flops down the stairs.

 **(Lauren's POV)**

'Tom, come down here! Kira's doing a Christmas thing!'

As a girl with such a minimalist social life, I like to spend Christmas with my family rather than any friends. This year it'll just be my brother and I, though, although dad said he'll be home later in the day.

As Tom makes himself comfortable on the couch next to me, the video begins, showing Kira in all his familiar- wait, he's wearing a Santa hat? And there's tinsel on his flag in the background?

' _Greetings, all-_ '

'KIRA-SENPAI!'

…

… Shit, I just said that out loud.

'Senpai? You don't have an actual crush on him, do you?'

'W-what? How could you possibly even think that?!'

'Heh, if your face was any redder the animators could just use the template for a bloodstain! Don't worry, I won't tell dad.'

'Yeah, sure, just be quiet, you've already distracted us from the start of his speech.'

' _Now, I can already guess that a lot of you out there will jump to the conclusion that, just because I celebrate Christmas, that must mean I'm a follower of Christianity, or another religion that does this. I'd like to debunk that immediately, as the version of Christmas I do takes a completely non-religious form. Now, I'm not an atheist because I'm ignorant of the reality of scripture. I'm an atheist because religious scripture is ignorant of reality. And even if the god described in the original Christian bible was real, I'd rather live in the burning pits of hell for thousands of years than worship that genocidal, homophobic, rape advocating, slavery and murder endorsing, psychopathic evil sadist. But I really don't want to discuss that any further, instead I want to talk about what this year has been like as a whole, from my perspective at least._

 _Now, I'll be honest, 2016 was a bit of a dark year. From the escalating war in Syria, to the American presidential election, to the continuing genocide of the Palestinian people by the Israelis, it's felt like one hard blow after another. And yeah, I get it, maybe the future is bad. But there's a future beyond that, right?_ '

'Hey, Lauren, if you're really this into Kira, then…'

'…Yes?'

'Never mind. It's not important… It's just, the way you feel about Kira even though you never met him-'

'Well I've watched all his broadcasts, I've done all the math, I've taken the side of Kira even when he was just a fictional animanga character, and in case you've forgotten, it was criminals like the ones Kira's killing who murdered our mother! Yes, I may not know exactly what he looks like or any of that, but love, love never changes.'

'You don't need to be so dramatic about it.' Tom comments as I focus back on the screen, having been distracted a second time.

' _As Kira I have existed in this world for just 61 days, yet already the global crime rate has dropped by nearly two percent, saving hundreds of innocent lives. Granted, that isn't much, but it's a good start. Now I know there are a lot of haters out there who continue to complain about the collateral damage inflicted by my strategy, and many believe that the loss of life outweighs the benefits of a more crime-free world. But, you see, one of my favorite things about the math and logic behind all this is that it's true whether you believe in it or not. You know, people don't give a shit about reasons, but nobody can resist miracles. And my predecessor knew that._

 _Of course, I can only make so much progress by following in said predecessor's footsteps, as the biggest criminals in the world are the ones who write the rules that make their crimes legal, and so to take them on I'll need new tactics, and new strategies. And most of all, I'll need the support of hundreds of millions of ordinary men, women and children around the globe. And you can all choose to be among those people. The best part is, there are many easy ways you can support my goal of a more peaceful world, without even putting much effort into it. For example, here's just one example of something you can do: When you go shopping, be sure not to buy anything with a barcode starting with "729" or "871". That simple act will slightly reduce the ability of one of the Middle East's most brutal nations to fund terrorism around the world or continue to slaughter the locals of the lands they've conquered._

 _Of course, even they pale in comparison to the strength of the most powerful warmonger on Earth, the United States. They alone spends over two-thirds of a trillion dollars on warmongering annually, and for comparison, they only spend about 60 billion dollars a year on scientific and medical research. Of course, war against a foreign country only happens when the moneyed classes think they are going to profit from it, so another approach could be to remove to possibility of net profits. While this strategy could work for any aggressor, the US would be particularly vulnerable. For example, 90% of the two trillion dollars spent on the invasion and occupation of Iraq went to the richest 1% of Americans. Also, here's another fun fact about that war: The initial 2003 invasion was originally named "Operation Iraqi Liberation", but was quickly changed to "Operation Iraqi Freedom" so the acronym wouldn't give anything away._

 _And perhaps the saddest part is, while the world's nations always seem to find more than enough funds for their endless wars, police militarization, mass surveillance and god-knows-what-else, you still claim you don't have enough money to house the homeless, feed the poor or do anything else productive. And it wouldn't even cost that much, either. Out of the two trillion dollars spent on war every year, less than 5% of that would be needed to eradicate poverty and hunger around the world._

 _…_ _Well, it looks like I have to start wrapping things up now, so I'll end off with this: If there's one thing I want you to take from this, it's that life isn't just doing things for yourself. It's possible to live in such a way that other people's happiness makes you happy too, and in the end… I just want to see people happy, that's all. That's why I became Kira, and that's why I will fight to the bitter end for what I believe in. And so, I wish you all a merry Christmas, a happy new year, and the best of luck in whatever lies beyond._ '

At that, the screen goes black for a few seconds before going back to the hosts of _Tomorrow's Today Tonight_ , none of whom seem sure how to react. Tom turns the TV off and turns to me.

'Well, I can certainly see where you're coming from. After all, as you already know that I myself feel the same way you do, I'm just not as emotional about it.'

'It's almost funny, you know, how our father is leading the Kira investigation despite the fact that both his kids are against it. Let's just hope he never finds out. Oh, before I forget, here's my present for you.' I quickly grab a small box from under the tree and enthusiastically give it to him.

'What's this? …"Attack on Titan Junior High"? OMG LAUREN THANK YOU SO MUCH I'VE BEEN WANTING THIS SINCE FOREVER!'

 **(Luci's POV)**

As we all take our seats around the round glass table in the new hotel, Q rushes through the door carrying a large envelope.

'Luci, we've got another suicide note, similar to the last ones.'

'Huh, I thought he was done with that. Well, go ahead, show us all what it says.'

Q places the envelope on the table for the twelve of us to see, and slides out a photograph of the message.

 _Merry my ass, I'll be lucky to even reach the end of_

 _Christmas, what with Kira running around despite_

 _L! Seriously, what the hell is taking him so long?_

'So, if we read it the same way as the notes I got before all of you showed up, it reads…'

 _Merry Christmas L!_

'…Seriously? That's it?!'

'So, you're sure this is from Kira?'

'Without a shadow of a doubt Pearl. Well, I suppose this doesn't tell us anything new, especially since he's already made his views on Christmas clear in his broadcast this morning, his broadcast which kept running all the way to the end because SOMEONE couldn't get to TTT and stop it in time!'

Agent Marco objects, 'Look, it wasn't my idea to-'

'I don't want any of your half-assed excuses! You four fail one more time and you're off the case, got it?!'

'Well at least he isn't-'

'SHUT UP OKADA! NOONE ASKED FOR YOUR OPINION!'


	19. Kremlin

**QMFM: Between Christmas, my IRL birthday, New Year's, trying to handle my little American cousins and trying to find time for this, I got another two reviews. Demonic Mello said:**

 **I love this but the Mello oc reminds me of my own.**

 **Now this is interesting, because I'm not even sure which character you consider "my Mello oc". Out of the entire cast, the one most strongly resembling Mello is M, but she's only had one appearance so far (back in chapter 14) so I'm kind of stuck with this one.**

 **Also, Alexis Vance asked a very interesting and comlicated question, but I think I'll leave that one for the first Q &A thing.**

 **(Chris' POV)**

You know, between finding out that L's squad has probably put my house under heavy surveillance, finding out that my friendship missile aimed at Canada was shot down over Hawaii, and trying to act normal with my friends after suddenly discovering both of the above halfway through watching a movie with all of them I'd say it's been a bit of a stressful day. But hey, at least I can stop painfully acting so cheerful once I'm home… at least, I hope I can.

'So, even though we're still in a recession, at least crime's down, so I'd say 2017's starting pretty well.' Connor comments, the group of us walking together as we all conveniently live within about half a kilometer of one another.

'More precisely, Kira's murder spree means the crime rate has actually gone up, but that's had the effect of suppressing other crime.'

'I wouldn't exactly call it a "murder spree", you know,' I subtly respond to the kid in the back of the crowd.

'Chris has a point. "Murder" implies that the reasoning behind it can't be clearly, logically justified.' And this is why I'm friends with Connor. He's usually on my side, whether he actually knows it or not.

Half a minute later our group reaches my house and I part from the rest. As they continue off into the distance, I softly knock on the door. Then I strongly knock on the door. I guess nobody's home. Makes sense, since they wouldn't be able to do shit if mum or Indy were around. Good thing I have the spare keys on me.

 **(Luci's POV)**

'Christian Atarashimono… according to Q, who installed the cameras, he's checking if anyone goes into his room while he's gone. Other than that, his room held nothing suspicious. Then again, I know for a fact Q wasn't looking very hard. Now, let's move to his room. Switching to camera 4…'

As I finish my narration the boy enters his room, drops his bag on the floor next to his desk, puts on a brown coat, and as he leaves he re-places the strip of paper he had between the door and the frame. It's strange, his door-checking process is just the same as the one Light used to trick L in _Death Note_. Luckily, I specifically asked Q to look for any other mechanism resembling what Light had, and he didn't find any. Actually, no, there's nothing "lucky" about it. This is just another reason the investigation is going to drag on for far longer than anticipated, and I know my dad and his buddies at the top are getting impatient. But they know I'm the best detective they have in their inner circle, so they really don't have much of a choice. For now, at least. I don't really know what kind of backup plans they could be formulating.

In other news, why's Q taking so long to get back here to the hotel? I mean, the doughnut shop is just across the street!

'Mungalo, did you buy the new IPhone?'

'Umm, sure, it's right here.'

'Can I just quickly use it to text Q? Mine's charging.'

'Uh, sure.' As I grab the aforementioned object, Pearl makes her observations on the suspect we're watching.

'So he goes to such lengths to be sure no-one's been in his room. Might he be hiding something in there?'

'Well, considering he's 16, it isn't all that unusual. I've done it myself, in fact.'

'Oh, for a moment I hoped I was onto something.'

'… Okada, your phone lost service.'

'It does it if you hold it like that!'

'… I hate the new IPhone. If they had called it the LPhone it would never be this flawed. If I were Kira, I know who I would kill next.'

 **(Chris' POV)**

'Well, Chris, I already found one camera in the gebüsch, overlooking the front of the house.'

Am I being followed as well? Even out here, I better keep my voice real low, just in case. Luckily, this jacket is designed to detect and short-circuit any electronics embedded into it, so I know it isn't bugged. You know, it's convenient that I set up this security measure just a few days before this happened. It's a rather simple system, actually. Two small sensors, one on the top edge of my door and one on the frame above it, detect if the door's been opened. If so, an alert is sent to my phone (which has been on me all day, so I know nothing's happened to it), and I use the "Find my IPhone" app to check if it was Mum or Indy by seeing if either of them are at home. They always carry their phones with them, so it's a pretty bulletproof method. And it negates the need for any mechanisms like what Light set up, which is probably what L would expect me to set up and hence what he'd be looking for.

'Well, on the bright side, at least they didn't find the Death Note.'

'Yeah, that _is_ a relief. Remember, once we get back home you'll need to start finding and locating all the cameras and microphones in our house. I, on the other hand, have to play the part of a serious student getting ready for eleventh grade. Cameras these days can be made wireless, and extremely small. The same goes for microphones. The latter can be found with a detector, which I can easily get from the mafia. But I can't use it if there are cameras all over the house. If they stay there for too long, I can just "find" one and start removing them. So for that, too, I need to know where they are. And you can even directly tell me where all the cameras are, since nobody else can hear you.'

'Okay, a camera hunt, that sounds fun!'

'But there's one more problem, you see. In Death Note, Light managed to use a few porn magazines to make his door-checking look normal, and while I didn't include any obvious system in my setup, L's probably done his research and knows about my overall vibe of secrecy. And I know for a fact he won't be fooled so easily. No, I'll need to go a lot further than Light did.'

Before Rugo can say anything I whip out my phone, find the message contact labelled "Satan", and begin typing.

'Wait, seriously? You're really going that far? I mean…'

'Don't worry, this is in case the cameras are in for more than a few days. If they're out before then, I'll just tell her I changed my mind.'

'Morality aside, won't that cause even more problems?'

'Nah, I'm sure it'll be fine.'

 **(Ivan's POV)**

Someone should make an au where I get my shit together. I mean, here I am, the chief of staff of the president of the Russian Federation, and I can't even show up on time to what could be the most important meeting in my entire career! And it seems like everyone's already in his office, as no-ones waiting outside. As the president's guards open the door I step in and, sure enough, everyone from the previous meeting is already seated, and they all immediately lock their eyes onto mine. As I take my seat, I notice the immediately-recognizable Kiran briefcase on the president's desk in front of him.

'You're late.'

'… I'm sorry, Vladimir Putin, it's just that I was-'

'I don't care, just so long as you're here now.' He coldly responds as he turns back to the others, before making an initial mini-speech.

'Now, before we see what's in here I want to remind everyone what's at stake here. Now I don't have the slightest clue who or what Kira really is, but what we all do know is that it can kill anyone in the world who's name and face are known to it. At least, that's what our own Kira investigation concluded. This deduction is also supported by what we knew from our spies in the other Kira investigation, before we had to recall them at the start of December. And while the mainstream media around the world is focusing on the thousands of criminals he's killed, we must remember that he's already toppled three oppressive regimes around the world, with mixed results. We must also remember everything that he's talked about in his various broadcasts, specifically all the things that our enemies, and to a smaller extent ourselves, don't want to be brought into the public eye. And when we take all of it into account, we can be sure of one thing: Kira is not on our side, nor is he on that of our enemies. He wants to achieve his goal, whatever that is, without becoming anyone's puppet. Of course, at this point, it's hard to know what that goal is. Granted, we know exactly what he wants the world to think his goal is, but, you see, humans lie without a second thought. Including me, of course. Now before I open the briefcase and we see for ourselves what Kira has to say, I want to hear all your thoughts.'

The Interior minister speaks up first. 'Following Kira's broadcasts, a large portion of the Russian people are viewing him not just as a killer or a vigilante figure, but as a whistleblower figure on the same level as Edward Snowden. I mean, sure, he hasn't said anything that the public can't find out on their own with some quick research, but this is the first time the facts have been bluntly stated to such a large audience. And already we've seen millions take to the streets of multiple nations, demanding an end to-'

'What are you saying, Kolokoltsev?!' The Foreign minister interrupts, 'That we should just give in to him just because he's said some stuff? In case you've forgotten, this is the person who killed Bashar Al-Assad and his entire line of succession! And what's to say he won't do the same to us?!'

The Finance minister agrees. 'I'm with Lavrov on this one. Kira may have millions of supporters around the world, but in no country has he even so much as gotten the approval of more than a fifth of the population! If we were to even officially accept his existence, western sanctions and dirt-cheap oil will become the least of our problems! And what if his demands are unachievable? How could we possibly-'

Before he can finish, defense minister Shoygu ragefully stands up and slams his fists on the table exclaiming:

'WELL I MUST BE PARTICULARLY FUCKING HORNY TODAY, BECAUSE ALL I SEE ARE A BUNCH OF PUSSIES AND DICKS! DO ANY OF YOU HEAVE THE SLIGHTEST IDEA WHAT KIND OF OPPORTUNITY THIS IS, AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, HOW BADLY WE CAN'T AFFORD TO MISS IT?!'

'BUT THE RISKS-'

'OUR ENTIRE HISTORY IS BUILT ON TAKING RISKS! WE DIDN'T BECOME ONE OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL NATIONS IN HISTORY BY STICKING ONLY TO WHAT WE ALREADY KNEW WE COULD SUCCEED IN! AND IF YOU WANT TO WORRY ABOUT RISKS, WHAT ABOUT THE RISK OF WHAT KIRA MIGHT DO IF WE REJECT HIS OFFER!?'

'WE'VE ALREADY LOST SYRIA, WHAT MAKES YOU THINK-'

'ONE TINY MIDDLE EASTERN NATION HAS NOTHING ON A BEING WHO CAN KILL ANYONE IN THE WORLD WITHOUT LIFTING A FINGER! IT'S LIKE COMPARING SUPERMAN TO NORTH KOREA, YOU JUST CAN'T EXPECT TO-'

 **'** **EVERYONE SHUT UP!'**

We all do as Vladimir Putin says, and Shoygu sits back down.

'… Well, from what I heard I think there is only one way we can come to a reasonable conclusion here. Rather than make our voices audible from Chechnya with arguments based on nothing but speculation, how about we actually read Kira's offer and start screaming at each other about it afterwards?' Before anyone can protest he opens the briefcase, and turns it around to show the rest of us what's inside: A laptop welded into the inside, it's screen showing a white stylized "K" on a black background. After a few seconds, the familiar voice of Kira comes through the laptop's speakers, in a broken yet understandable Russian.

' _Hello high-ranking people of the government of the Russian Federation, I am Kira. To prove to you that I am Kira, I have attached to this video a file containing the times of death of various enemies of the Russian state. You are probably wondering why I have left you all untouched despite the unjustifiable atrocities that you have committed during this second cold war. Long story short, I seek allies, and out of the three most powerful nations on Earth, the United States of America, the Russian Federation and the Chinese People's Republic, I have determined Russia's government to be the least evil._

 _If you agree to this deal, please announce your official acceptance of my rule once a majority of Russians support me. Prior to that, make your announcement as specified in one of the documents I am about to show you. If you do this, I will see it as your acceptance of my offer, and if you stick to what you are required to do, you will be rewarded greatly. If I receive no such statement, I will see it as a refusal of my offer, and I will leave you alone for the foreseeable future. But, if I see you accept this agreement only to find that you are not following all my requirements, or if I find that you're claiming to be following them but are lying and in secret you're continuing to disobey me, then I will kill all of you. It's your choice._

 _I should also mention that, while my alliance offer to Russia is certainly one of the most vital, I have also sent similar messages to twenty-three other nations, including Palestine, Belarus, Cuba, Croatia, Germany, Greece, India, Japan, Mexico, South Korea, Sweden, Vietnam and Canada…_ '

Heh, Canada. They're like the sweet apartment above a meth lab.

' _I hate evil & love justice. I do not consider the police as my enemies but as my allies against evil, and the same goes for the ruling regimes of any country that chooses to cooperate with me, so long as they operate under certain guidelines. Now, I'm going to be brutally honest here, the terms I'm laying out for this agreement are going to be very strict and I won't be very forgiving nor willing to negotiate on them. However, you should know that the deal goes two ways, and it'll be extremely difficult for me to do my part as well. But I won't let you down, unless you betray me that is. Anyway, without further ado, here are the terms of my agreement._'

The video cuts off, and the screen switches to a blank desktop with multiple links to PDF documents with headings like "foreign policy", "democracy", "corruption", "censorship", "mass surveillance", "government transparency", "nuclear weapons", "bribery", "leadership shuffle", "elitists", "media control" and so on.

'Well, this is a very unconventional method. Try… try opening one of the documents. I mean, what could go wrong?' I suggest.

'Alright, let's do that. First, how about we start with something simple. What does the one on nuclear weapons say?'

-Click-

'Hmm… " _I bet you probably expect me to order you to significantly reduce or even abolish your nuclear arsenal, and in an ideal world that'd be what I'd do. However, with the growing threat of NATO, Israel and their nuclear-armed allies, that isn't really an option…_ " Wait, before I go on, what even _is_ the status of our nuclear forces?'

Huh, I thought he'd always keep himself updated on that, since it's the most valuable military asset of the country he's the president of. Nonetheless, Shoygu quickly answers.

'Well, the good news is that the strategic picture is still satisfactory and our enemies in the west are fully aware of that. As of the last time I checked, we have a total fleet of twelve nuclear submarines, although one has been refitted as a test bed for the Bulava missile system. Still, in total we have 176 SLBM missiles carrying a total of 768 warheads. We also have our strategic rocket forces with 307 land-based ICBMs, carrying a total of 1040 warheads. Finally we have the aviation side of our nuclear triad, which has a total of 798 nuclear bombs and cruise missiles.

All in all, we have a total of 2606 usable nuclear devices in our strategic offensive arsenal, as opposed to well over 3000 by NATO and Israel alone. Our nukes are also weaker, with a maximum yield of 800 kilotons as opposed to their 1200. Kira's right, any significant reduction under our current circumstances would be national suicide.'

'Huh, well so far I'm liking the sound of what Kira's saying… okay, it seems his only request in this matter is that we simply change our default targeting in order to minimize civilian fatalities while maximizing overall effectiveness. Makes sense, I suppose. It'll be hard to sort out, but far from undoable.'

'What are his terms regarding foreign policy?'

'He says… shit. He has a whole list of countries we can't support anymore unless we change their ways similarly to how he wants us to change our own. And I bet he'll also be demanding that we pull out of U-'

'…'

'…'

'… Vladimir Putin?'

'Forget what I just said, look right here!' With a sudden wave of enthusiasm he pushes the opened briefcase forward so we can all see the document for ourselves.

 _As for the territorial situation of the Russian Federation, my terms are simple. Russia will have my full permission to expand its borders, but only into areas I determine to be "Russian" enough to logically justify such a move. Right now those areas are as follows:_

 _Sevastopol, Ukraine_

 _Crimea, Ukraine_

 _Luhansk, Ukraine_

 _Donetsk, Ukraine_

 _Ida-Viru, Estonia_

 _The entirety of Belarus (since Russian and Belarussian are probably similar enough to negate the need for a political separation of the two)_

 _Again, I'll make it clear that any attempted expansion beyond the above will not be tolerated._

For a few moments we silently stare at the words on the screen, reading and re-reading them to be sure it's saying what we think it is. I decide to share my opinion.

'Well, I am certainly liking the sound of this. Besides, from Kira's point of view it should only make sense that Russia has all the primarily Russian parts of the world, just as Poland has the Polish regions and Sweden has all the Swedish. However, I doubt he'll allow us to go any further than that, which means some of our long-term plans will need to be modified.'

As Putin scrolls down, the next section quickly catches the Foreign minister's eye.

'Oh, that's a big one. He wants us to renounce our recognition of Israel as a sovereign nation and state that we won't recognize them again until they end their occupation of Palestine and return to their 1967 borders.'

'Well,' I reply, 'he did just begin one of the largest boycotts against the nation in its history, so it doesn't surprise me that he'd make a request like that. After all, the Zionist argument to justify Israel's present occupation of Palestine has no intelligent or legal basis in modern history, and it would be of great loss to see Israeli Zionists continue to do to Palestinian Arabs what the Nazis did to the Jews.'

'Wait… only countries that have the recognition of all five UNSC permanent members get to be in the UN, right?' Putin inquires.

'Yes, so… oh my god. If we go along with this, we could actually kick them out! Well, they'd still be there, they'd just be demoted to observer status, ironically the same position Palestine is in right now too. Still, I'd say this more than outweighs the loss we've had in Syria!'

'Wait, couldn't we have done this ages ago?' The interior minister asks.

'Well, we've never had a sufficient excuse to do so until now! And even if we did, it would be extremely risky. But look here.'

Putin pushes the briefcase forwards even further, and we all lean in to read the document shown on the screen.

 _If the Russian Federation accepts all of these demands, I will personally ensure its protection in an (ironically) NATO-like system where any attack on Russia will be considered an attack on myself, and vice versa. Like I mentioned before, I have sent offers similar to this one to multiple other nations, and it's probable that I'll try to unify all of them who accept into a similar alliance based on mutual defense. But for now, you should act as if you're the only ones who have accepted. If you do, that is._

Putin finishes reading that out before turning back to the rest of us. 'So this would give us the personal protection of a supernatural being, who can kill anyone with the push of a button. The downside is that, by quickly skimming the pages of the rest of the documents, I'm getting the overall idea that we basically have to become the perfect role-model country, and that means giving up a lot of the luxuries we, along with the rest of the powerful Russian elites, have taken for granted.'

Without thinking I reply, 'Well, I don't need to read the rest of the agreement terms to make my decision. I'm in.'

Defense minister Shoygu makes his verdict. 'For decades, the western powers have been pushing us into a corner without mercy. And every time we try to push back, the world points at us and calls us evil. This could be our last chance to change that, to make things right. Count me in too.'

'Well unlike you all I don't even need vodka to make bad decisions! I'm with you guys!' The interior minister agrees.

'As Winston Churchill once said: You have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something sometime in your life. So let's do this.' The finance minister adds.

'Yeah, let's show them the difference between strategy and tactics!' The foreign minister states.

Without even the slightest change in his neutral expression, the chief of the Russian general staff asserts, 'I agree with all of you.'

'Me too,' Says the president's deputy, 'well, that just leaves you, Vladimir Putin. It's your call.'

'…'

'We'll respect your decision either way.' I clarify.

'…'

'…'

'… Everyone always hates us. They say we're cruel and evil and insane. We all try to ignore it, but it becomes harder and harder to just look away. Blame all the wars we've been through, all the people who have had to spill blood on our hands. I regret every death I've ever been involved in. Every single one. I never go a day without thinking about it. I just wish people could understand. And all my life, I have seen my people always fighting on the losing side. But I'm a stubborn bastard, and just once… I want to know what victory feels like.'


	20. Potato Chip

**(Chris' POV)**

'I found another one. It's inside the air conditioner.'

That's thirty-six so far, so there's probably microphones too. Even if this _is_ to track down Kira, which it is, I doubt ANPA would go this far on their own, at least not this early on. So this was L's idea. But then, how far has he narrowed it down? At the very least, it's got to be down to the people Ryan Parson was probing, which is probably very few people. That would mean they placed cameras in the homes of everyone else investigated. Would they do that? I don't see why they wouldn't. In any case, there's little point to guessing how many suspects they have. I need to think and act as if I'm the only one under surveillance right now. I've set things so criminals will keep dying until three weeks from now, but L also probably knows that I can set the time of death. So if I'm going up against L in these circumstances, the key will be-

'Here's another one! This one alone is enough to cover your whole desktop.'

-whether criminals reported in the news now die while I'm under surveillance. And if they do, L will be watching whether I saw those news reports or not. And they have to be the kinds of criminals I'd normally kill. Since L is definitely aware of the world of _Death Note_ by this point, if there are any changes to Kira's killing patterns while I'm under surveillance, that's as good as a fingerprint. Until now, every time a criminal was reported in the news, I eliminated them within a few weeks. So if I turn on the TV or go to one of my news sites or crime databases now, and a criminal is reported… if they die today or tomorrow, L might suspect me. On the other hand, if I never do that and the perpetrators of fresh crimes go unpunished, then that makes me a suspect even more. And I can't take the Light Yagami route since L would know exactly what to look for, and once he finds the mini-TV or whatever I use, I'm as good as dead. And while I've been killing criminals when I'm away from home these last few days, like when I'm going out with friends for example, that strategy won't hold for long. However-

'Kids! It's dinner time!' I hear from downstairs, interrupting my internal monologue.

'Chris, I'll stay here and finish finding all the cameras in your room. I'm at thirty-eight now and I think I'm nearly done.'

As I walk down the stairs, my heart skips a beat as I see Indy watching the news. Luckily it isn't showing anything crime-related right now, so I calm down from my imperceptible panic attack within a second.

 _'_ _Just ten hours ago the nations of Canada, Japan, Russia and the United States jointly announced that they will be withdrawing their support for the International Space Station next year, effectively handing its ownership to the European Space Agency. It's expected that this move will greatly-'_

'Indy, can you please change the channel while we're eating?' Mum requests.

'Fine.'

Luck is on my side a second time as the channel she switches to is not another news channel but merely _Last Week Tonight_. Although I guess it's still kind of a news channel, but it doesn't focus on ordinary criminal activity so I should be safe.

' _Hello, I'm John Oliver and tonight, we'll be talking about Kira, Australia's literal Death Star…_ '

Mum brings out our plates from the kitchen and asks, 'So honey, how the fuck was your day?'

 **(Luci's POV)**

'Nigel, are the others watching the news right now.'

'None of the Rockley family is, but the Summer's and about half the Vimerica's are, the latter of which includes the girl Ryan was shadowing.'

'That's good enough. Play the message.'

'The message?'

'The message.'

'The message?'

'Yes, the message.'

'LUCI, I THINK WE SHOULD WAIT UNTIL ALL OF-'

'Okada, don't shout so loud! You'll lower the IQ of the whole street! And like I said, this is probably the best chance we'll get.'

 **(Indy's POV)**

'And then he was like "hey, I wonder how many seasons it'll be until they run out of characters and start killing off actual viewers instead?" and I was like-'

'Hey, look, a news bulletin!' My brother interrupts.

 _Interpol to send over 9000 detectives from various countries to solve Kira case._

'Over 9000 detectives? Wow, looks like Kira's gonna need to be extra careful from now on!' He adds.

It's just like in Death Note. They must already have cameras in this room, and whether or not this news is true, they ran this to test my brother's reaction. It actually isn't too different from the trick they tried the first time. Well, I suppose the least I can do is cover for him by responding before he says something stupid.

'Interpol must be pretty dumb.'

'Huh? How so, Indy?'

'What's the point, if they announce it like this? If they're going to send in all those detectives, they should keep quiet about it and let them work in secret. Those foreign agents were here on a top-secret mission, and look what still happened to them. If Kira knows about these guys, he'll try to do the same thing for sure. That's why I bet it isn't even true. It's likely just a ruse to put pressure on Kira. That being said, I think Kira should still be extremely cautious from now on, just in case.'

As I finish explaining my view on the situation, I hear the recognizable footsteps of our mother, who checks up on the state of our rooms every few days. With a deathly glance she stares into Chris before shouting:

'YOU CALL THAT CLEAN?! GO BACK AND DO IT PROPERLY WHEN YOU'RE DONE EATING!'

 **(Luci's POV)**

The Atarashimono teens seem very intelligent. It's strange, when I looked through what we know of the family, Chris was the only one that stuck out like a sore thumb, his former allegiance with Death Note's Light Yagami starting way before Kira began and continuing until it suddenly did a 180 with the death of his supposed crush. But the way Indy was talking to him, almost sounded like she knew Kira was listening to her. Could they have teamed up? I myself have one brother and sister, so I know what sibling relationships are like, and how they can range from "don't breathe in my direction or I'll kill you" to "I'll help you hide the body". Speaking of which, I should probably-

'Hey, Luci! One of the suspects has snuck out!'

 **(Chris' POV)**

'You know, it's weird how people say "follow your dreams" instead of "follow your ambitions" because once I had a dream where I worked for a place that tried to genetically engineer ducks to speak English, except the ducks only criticized people's fashion sense.'

How the hell did our conversation end up here? In any case, I have to get back to my room. I really, _really_ can't afford to be late for what's about to happen.

'I'm done.'

'Already?'

'Yeah.' I place my plate on the kitchen sink and quietly return to my room, and sure enough, Rugo's sitting on the bed with a satisfactory look on his face.

'Well, after all these days I think it's safe to say I found all the cameras. Didn't think I could get worn out this easily, though. Oh, yeah, that's right, I have to tell you where they are, and where they're pointing. It's pretty complicated, so I'll probably have to say it more than once.'

( _Twelve minutes later_ )

'…So that's it, 40 cameras in total in your room. As requested I've also looked in a few other rooms, and I've found one weak spot: The bathroom. I literally spent hours looking for any sign of a camera in there, and I found absolutely nothing! It's almost as if this L has morals regarding how far he should be able to spy on people.'

From the number of cameras and how they're placed, I'd say L expects to come to a conclusion pretty fast. But now that Rugo has told me where the cameras are, and since I know what to do, I can act like an ordinary teenager, while killing criminals who are on the news right now, without even taking the risk of killing any small-time ones or making any noticeable change to my killing patterns! The plan is pretty simple. I haven't taken off my Apple Watch all day, so it won't seem weird that I keep it on when I go to the bathroom. I'll have to make sure that my timing for bathroom breaks seems normal, and that I'm not spending too long in there, but that shouldn't be too hard. Once in, I'll take out the small folded-up square of Death Note paper which is hidden inside it and use the watch's internet search function to find my days' worth of criminals, who I then write the names of onto the paper making sure to time their deaths in a pattern mimicking what I normally do when I'm not being watched.

For now, though, I'll just read while I wait for _her_ to arrive. Just watch me, L. I'll take a potato chip…

 **(Luci's POV)**

When I was his age I did strange things too.

 **(Chris' POV)**

I'll take a potato chip with my right hand, and I'll take a potato chip with my left. I'll take a potato chip…

AND EAT IT!

AND EAT IT!

AND EAT IT!

 **(Luci's POV)**

' _AND EAT IT! AND EAT IT! AND EAT IT! AND EAT IT!_ '

…

…

'…Holy crap, that was the most amazing thing I've ever seen.'

'According to my research, he once tried out for the Junior Olympic Potato-Chip-Eating Team.' Pearl mentions.

'They seriously have that in the Olympics?'

'They used to, before the accident…'

 **(Chris' POV)**

'Psst, you there?'

As I silently peek out the window, I see a familiar face climbing up the drainpipe before jumping sideways and grabbing the bottom of the windowsill, her blood-red eyes reflecting the light from the full moon overhead.

'Yeah, Indy and mum are asleep so we should stay quiet, though.'

'Heh, quiet. Okay then, we can be quiet...'

And this is the other side of my plan. Kallet Vimerica. You see, L's probably done a fair amount of research into me, and probably knows just as much about my activity patterns as I do. The main thing he'd have gotten is my overall vibe of secrecy and isolation, especially how it's developed since Kira appeared. So I'll need a pretty damn good explanation if I don't want him to connect the dots, and this is the best idea I came up with. Now, it has to look like the two of us have been secretly seeing each other for some time now, but luckily I've taken that into account beforehand. I've basically told Kallet the whole situation, except instead of saying anything about Kira or L she thinks I'm under ANPA surveillance as a result of my activities in the mafia two years ago. She seemed convinced, and so she agreed to play along with this fake secret relationship, although I don't know how "fake" she's going to be about it.

There are risks in this, I know, but it's gotten to the point where there are no existing good choices. Even my good choices are bad ones by anyone's standards but mine. Without further ado I reach in and pull her up by the arm, and with all the gracefulness of a demonically possessed doll she falls through the open window and onto the floor. As she gets up I take a mental note of her clothing, or rather, how little of it she has on her. I mean, seriously, how much more revealing can she get?!

'Listen, tomorrow I'll be leaving for my family's holiday home near Yaniban, sooo…'

'Yaniban? Where's that?'

'North-Eastern China. But don't worry, I'll be back by the time school starts again. And tonight, I have you all to myself. You know, when you first rejected me I…'

Well this is good, I'll only have to go through this once, then. Actually, on the other hand, perhaps I can keep this one-sided relationship going. I mean, sure, she's a cold-hearted bitch, but she is very skilled with both a knife and a gun, so perhaps I could trick her into becoming my makeshift bodyguard. I do strongly suspect L is going to make some really aggressive moves in the coming weeks, so perhaps I should keep her around, for protection. In the meantime it'll also give me a chance to try to find out why she's so obsessed with me in the first place.

'…And then there's the time I almost got arrested when I was seven because I was putting that fake snow stuff in ziplock bags and giving them to all my friends, and more and more kids would come to me asking for snow. Then one kid's parents found it and they thought it was cocaine so they called the cops on us and they literally thought that a seven-year-old girl had created an underground drug distribution system. Of course, even then I…'

Oh, shit. I forgot that she never shuts up.

 **(Luci's POV)**

'Well, this certainly explains why he acts so secretive. Then again, according to our research he in a relationship with Viper Scott until her death, so is it natural to move on so quickly?'

'Well, I suppose all very brilliant men are a little bit unusual, Luci.'

'I'm brilliant, Mungalo, and I'm not the least bit unusual.'

'In any case, how about we give the two of them some privacy while they're, you know…'

'Yes, okay, I'm turning it off. Like I said the other day, I may be evil but I'm not a pervert.'

 **(Chris' POV)**

'…And it said that if you look into the bathroom mirror at night and shout "Donald Trump" 3 times, the hair in your shower drain rises up and starts yelling racist slurs. So obviously I was curious so I…'

Well, this is the most boring one-way conversation we've ever had. Or at least, it's in the top five. Or ten. Although she did have a good point about five minutes ago: Why can't every charger for everything that exists be the exact same size and shape? Shit, no, am I losing focus already? I need to concentrate on what happens here, if she makes even the smallest mistake in her endless blabbering, it's game over. Now considering what she thinks the situation is, she probably won't bring up the rumors about her murdering some of the girls her previous boyfriends dumped her for. Then again, they _are_ just rumors, and she probably doesn't even care if some people think that. But if L hears about it he could take it seriously, especially if it comes out of her mouth.

'So anyway, enough about myself, what've you been doing these holidays?'

Oh, fuck, think of an answer!

'…Well, not much. Stressing about eleventh grade, mostly.'

'Heh, same. Although it isn't as bad for me since my family's really rich. Like, even more than yours. You know, it's almost funny how in high school, they don't teach you how to pay bills, buy a house or apply for college, but they do teach you more important stuff like… graphing polynomial functions. Look, if you stay in line and don't reject me again I'll give you all the answers for everything.'

'Hmm, that _is_ a tempting offer. Alright, I'll take it.'

What's the worst that could happen? I mean, it's not like she'll find out I'm Kira or anything. And I will admit, she is really hot. Not that it affects my judgement, which is totally based purely on only strategic reasons alone.

'Good. I mean, since Viper's dead it's not like I'd have any threatening competition or anything. I'd say murdering her is the only good thing this "Kira" has ever done. Yeah, I do owe him one for that. But still, I look forward to the day L executes him in front of the entire world.'

…Well, I think I might have just beaten my fastest all-time record for going from "I think I'm starting to like this girl" to "fuck that bitch". If she's going to be like this, then perhaps I'll start investigating those rumors about her… which will probably turn out to be a bunch of fabricated claims anyway.

'Of course, as much as my hatred for Kira goes, my love for you is far stronger.'

No, realistically my only two options are to either hide my true identity from her, or get her on my side. The former sounds easier, but the latter sounds safer in the long run. What will I-

Before I can think, she grabs the back of my head and pushes my mouth against hers.


	21. School

**(Chris' POV)**

'Are you positive, Rugo?'

'Yeah, you definitely aren't being followed. I flew around you a whole bunch of times, up to a radius of 100 meters. I'm positive.'

'Yeah, but the news bulletin said they're sending in over 9000 detectives…'

'You know they were just bluffing. You remember what your sister said, right? In any case, they probably have their hands full with the situation in Nord Korea right now.'

Rugo's right, however even I am not sure if I made my move correctly there. You see, all three of my previous dictatorship regime eliminations had mixed results, but they were all relatively bloodshed-free. Eritrea became an isolationist semi-democracy, the Congo was invaded and annexed by the DRC, and Syria, well… In any case, the DPRK is a completely different game. I'd been waiting for the right time to strike them ever since I became Kira, but only two weeks ago did such a window of opportunity roll around. Still, even the best-case scenario I ended up with has resulted in the country breaking up into several warring factions, and to add the icing to the cake, those still loyal to Kim Jong-Un's government happen to cover the territory holding all three of the nation's ICBM launch sites. There's no doubt they know I was the one to kill off the supreme leader and his entire line of succession, so there's a small but existing chance that they could try something really-

'Wait, Chris, when the North Korean people finally get their freedom of information and the internet, they'll realize that the whole world was making fun of their country all along. Are you sure that won't cause problems? And what if they actually do launch their nukes. I mean, you having a Death Note by comparison is like bringing one of those brittle, cheap plastic knives to a gunfight.'

'Brittle, cheap plastic knives are actually pretty great weapons if you file the end down to a point, you can stab someone and then twist your wrist to shatter the plastic blade inside the wound. It's pretty effective if you do it near a joint or in the gut as those places move a lot and cause the broken shards to shift around. By the way, Rugo, why are you all upside down and messed up like that?'

'Well, you remember we were playing twister at that party last night? Yeah, things didn't go as planned.'

 **(Luci's POV)**

' _I have what you requested, a happy meal with extra happy. Oh, one more thing. There's been another criminal suicide note. I'll show you once I'm there._ '

'Okay, thanks Q!'

-Beep-

'Alright, so I've studied the tapes we got from the bugs and cameras over the time that they've been in place, numerous times. And my conclusion is that of the people in the Atarashimono, Vimerica, Summer and Rockley families, suspicious activity with a possible connection to Kira was observed in… nobody. Since we began surveillance, the killings have gone on exactly as they did before, and there's no suspect who had watched or heard of all the incoming crime reports on the news or internet before the criminals in them died. Even if Kira can set the time of death, he wouldn't be able to set it for a time that's before he heard about them. We'll remove the bugs and cameras.'

'Hmpf, so no suspect after all. I thought we were on the right track with Ryan Parson's targets.' Comments Aivenawa.

'Don't give up! All right, so we're back at square one. We'll just have to put our minds to starting over.'

'Chief Blackheart, please don't misunderstand me. I only said "no suspicious activity was observed", and the essence of what we see and what is are two completely different things. Even if one of them is Kira, they simply aren't making any mistakes. They're carrying out their duties as always, without showing us how.'

'So you're saying one of them might be Kira after all?'

'At this point I'd put the probability at around forty percent.'

'But if we can't catch them on camera, then we'll have to call each of them in for questioning. And we do it the way you did back at the start of the case, without showing our faces.'

'No, Marco, even if we do it like that, it's too dangerous to let them know we suspect them of being Kira. And if we leave the cameras in place, we can't expect Kira to show any indications of killing anybody. Instead, he'll probably find the cameras first. Between the four households, already twelve have been found and discarded. The best thing would be to get him to admit to me himself that he's Kira, but there's no way I could do that… or could I?'

'Huh? What are you thinking?'

…

…

'This could work.'

'On a scale of one to giving the Westboro Baptist Church internet access, how bad is your idea?'

I'm not sure if I should tell them what I'm thinking, but if I go ahead with it I could get closer to Kira, and for all I know he may be a swell guy. We can go for walks in the park, play competitive games, and do other stuff… Woah, I dunno where that came from. In any case, I haven't made any really bad decisions lately and I'm getting bored. Suddenly my thinking is interrupted by a loud knock at the door.

'…Come in, Q.'

Entering the room he states, 'Here's a photograph taken of the suicide note. Luci, I think you should read it first.'

I get up and walk over to see the photographs, and I can immediately tell this is the longest note written by far. Without bothering to read the full message, the first word of each line says:

 _Kill_

 _Any_

 _Innocent_

 _Suspects_

 _And_

 _I_

 _Will_

 _Wipe_

 _Out_

 _All_

 _Of_

 _L's_

 _Superiors_

 _And_

 _Their_

 _Allies,_

 _Along_

 _With_

 _The_

 _Rest_

 _Of_

 _The_

 _Elitists._

Fuck. There goes the entire backup plan! Now we can't even _try_ to kill Kira unless we are absolutely sure it's him! Fucking FUCK! In any case, I can't show the rest of the Task Force this. I don't want them to know or even suspect that I'm anything other than a detective.

 **(Chris' POV)**

'So, remind me again, are you taking any foreign languages this year?'

'Yeah, math.'

'…You looking forward to seeing your friends again?'

'Yeah, sorta.'

'Huh, you used to be more enthusiastic about them. I remember many years ago, I got a phone call from your kindergarten teacher. She asked me why I wasn't providing lunch to you over the past few days. Confused, I hung up the phone and asked you what you were doing with your lunches, and you said, "Connor's mum is in the hospital and hasn't been able to make any meals for the last week, so I gave him a few of mine".'

'Really? I don't remember any of that.'

After finishing my breakfast I grab my bag and make my way out the door and toward the train station.

'Well, Chris, it sure is a relief to find out that the cameras and bugs are outta there!'

'Yeah, it's good to have one less thing to stress about before eleventh grade. And once I'm out of high school it'll be easier to make time to operate as Kira, and to find out more about L. What about you? When you were human, did you get this far with your education?'

'Well, no. I really can't reveal a lot, but for now I'll just mention that I died long before I reached your age.'

'Huh, that's unfortunate.'

'Well, for a kid I was a borderline prodigy with my intelligence and abilities. At least, that's what she said.'

'She? You've never told me who-'

'Oh hey, a convenient transition!'

( _45 minutes later_ )

'Hey! You there! Class started ten minutes ago, where've you been?!'

'It's okay. I planned to be here three minutes early.'

'You're not early you're late! By ten minutes! I just told you!'

I keep walking along at the same pace, quickly passing the man outside the entrance and finding my classroom. As usual I take my seat at the back, next to the window, and the teacher kicks off the lesson by announcing:

'This is L Lawliet, our new student. Would you like to introduce yourself?'

L LAWLIET?! I quickly take note of this new kid's overall appearance. Green eyes, Black hair, neatly dressed, black coat with a green inside… Certainly far from the L Lawliet I know. Now how will he introduce himself?

'Hmm, how should I say this… my first impression is… I don't like you guys. Oh, and I'd also like to add that I have my eye on all of you, and don't kill people.'

There's no way that's his real name. If my hunch is right, he's someone of the Kira Task Force. I mean, why else would someone hide their name, especially if they're in the same class as me? This is bad. Then again, the task force probably has dozens of detectives, so they may still be able to do this even if they have a large number of suspects. In any case, speculation is only going to make things more stressful. As he takes his seat on the other side of the classroom from me, Mr Iesnes continues.

'Now, as usual this year will begin with all students taking an exam to assess your abilities and see how much you've forgotten over the holidays. These will be handed out now, and I advise you…'

But how exactly is this new kid involved in the Task Force. Is he from ANPA? Is he a foreign agent that was brought in at the start of the case and hence wasn't in the 124-investigator wave that I repelled last year? Could he be someone with a family connection to L or his superiors?

'You may start.'

Wait, what was he saying? …Damn it's a test! Okay, let's see… Question number one.

 _Name: __

Fuck I didn't study. Perhaps the other questions are easier? Flipping ahead two pages I see:

 _32\. Mr Vargas drove 128 kilometers before lunch and 237 kilometers after lunch. How far did Mr Vargas drive altogether?_

 _33\. Did Mr Honda survive the ride?_

Alright, what about the next page?

 _49\. True or False: Toast is the adult stage in the life cycle of bread._

( _30 minutes later_ )

Alright, time to start the test. For real this time. Yes, now I'm actually going to do it-

'Time's up. Pens down.'

FUCK!

 **(Rugo's POV)**

'So an Irishman, a Frenchman and an Englishman find an old lamp and free the genie inside, who grants each of them one wish. The Irishman wishes that his country stays beautiful forever, and it is so. The Frenchman says his country is suffering too much from foreign influence and wishes for a wall to keep everything and everyone out. The Englishman curiously asks the genie to tell him more about this wall. The genie specifies that the wall is several kilometers high and completely surrounds France, and nothing can get in or out.

"Well then", the Englishman replies, "for my wish, fill it with water".'

'Ha! That's a good one, Connor. Oh, here's one I thought up in the holidays: What do you call a book club that's been stuck on the same book for centuries? Church.'

It's nice to see Chris getting along with others, especially since he puts on his false identity of an ordinary high schooler so well. To think that this cheerful, sociable, almost adorable guy is currently in the midst of the greatest battle of the 21st century fighting against the most powerful factions on the planet is, well, I envy him for handling it so well. I mean, sure, my achievements aren't far behind, but his enemies are far more powerful and influential, and while I had half the world on my side, so far he's been doing it all on his own, with only myself for support. Does he feel lonely on the inside? Is he scared about what's happening, and what's going to happen in the future? Even after living with him for months, I can't conclusively tell.

'Alright, everyone, fun's over. Everyone take your seats,' Chris' teacher begins. 'Okay you retards, only two of you actually managed to score points on the test, and that's because they attempted to put their names on the paper. What do we teach you at this school?! Half your answers were Disney song lyrics! Would Chris Atarashimono and L Lawliet please gain a round of applause?'

As everyone applauds, a familiar face from a bit over two weeks ago enters the room, treating the floor she walks on like some kind of runway.

'Miss Vimerica, you're nearly two hours late.'

'Oh, heh, sorry for that. I can make it up to you later.'

'…My whole class is goddamn insane…'

She then gracefully approaches her seat, gaining the attention of every male in the classroom except Connor and "L Lawliet".

'Please, keep in in your pants, boys.'

As she sits down she gives a very un-subtle wink to Chris, no doubt still thinking about that night.

'How can she just get away with that?' One of the kids in the back row asks.

'Well, you know what they say: I got 99 problems, and being rich and hot solves 95 of them.'

After that, class starts off relatively normal. Well, normal for a class that includes an ex-mafia vigilante superhero, a spy, a Yandere and who-knows-what-else. As everyone has their attention on the board after a few minutes, Kallet stealthily passes a note to Chris. Hovering over him I read what it says as he unfolds it.

 _Hey, can I have your honest opinion about something? - K_

He scribbles down a reply and passes it back.

 _Probably not, but go ahead. - C_

Kallet counterreplies a few seconds later.

 _Do you think I've gained any weight since two weeks ago? - K_

Huh, I didn't think she'd be the kind of girl that cared about that kind of thing, and from the expression on his face it seems Chris didn't either.

 _What is the body but a vessel for the soul? Of course you should take care of the former, but what happens to the latter is what's really important. But if you must know, you don't look like you're gaining weight. - C_

…

 _I wish I could donate body fat to those in need. - K_

…

 _That's the dumbest idea I've heard all year. - C_

You know, maybe he shouldn't take Kallet for granted so much. I mean, getting a girl like that with little to no effort is an extremely rare thing... As for me, well, I think I was born to end up alone.

 **(Chris' POV)**

After a few more minutes of actual schoolwork and Mr Iesnes spending 45 minutes ranting about wasting time, its lunchtime. My friends and I are walking around the school talking about random shit, but I'm not really paying attention. I mean, what-

'Chris, can I speak with you alone for a moment?' I hear from a voice hidden in the main building's shadow.

…

…

'What is it, Chris?' Harry asks.

'Don't worry guys, I'll catch up with you all later.'

As the others disappear into the distance, I enter the shadow and immediately notice that Luci is the only one there.

'Christian Atarashimono, or "Chris" as everyone calls you. You're the son of Haumea Atarashimono and brother of student India Atarashimono in the year above. Your respect for your family is matched only by your deep intellect and sense of justice. And right now, you're showing a great deal of interest in the Kira case. If you swear to me that you will not tell anybody, I shall place my faith in your abilities and tell you something of vital importance regarding the case.'

What's with this guy all of a sudden? Should I just ignore him? But he said "something of vital importance to the Kira case"…could he be playing the same card the real L Lawliet did when he first met Light Yagami?

'I won't tell anyone. What is it?'

' _I want to tell you, I'm L._ '

' _What?!_ '

' _I'm L._ '

' _What?!_ '

' _I'm L._ '

' _What?!_ '

' _I'm L._ '

' _What?!_ '

' _I'm L._ '

' _What?!_ '

' _I'm Kira._ '

' _No I'm…_ '

' _Yes?_ '

' _…_ _I'm finding that hard to believe._ '

' _So, yeah, I'm L._ '

That couldn't be… What's he saying?! L would never come out and say he's L! If he really is L… Anyway, right now I need to behave naturally. But how would I naturally respond?

' _…_ _Who is L?_ '

' _I am._ '

' _If you are who you say you are… nah, I'm just kidding. You can't be L._ '

' _No, really, I am. It's also the start of my first name. I told you who I was because I thought you might be able to help us solve the Kira case._ '

…This has been my adversary all this time? Seriously? Well, it's best not to underestimate him. Who knows what kind of evil mastermind is lying underneath that idiotic exterior.

' _Why are we still whispering?_ '

' _I don't know._ '

 **(Luci's POV)**

Chris Atarashimono. Probability of being Kira, thirty-five percent or less, but of everyone we were watching, he was the most suspicious. And if you are Kira, there's nothing that could pressure you more than this. Well, perhaps I could've used Light Yagami as my alias, but that would probably just infuriate you.

 **(Chris' POV)**

If it's true that this guy is L, or even if he isn't, there's nothing I can do about it. Now that he's revealed himself to me as such, he can't die or else I'm completely fucked. Not to mention, he's using the conspicuously fake name of L Lawliet. So is he L?

…

…

…Probably not, people like him tend to have too strong a self-preservation instinct, and by now he must've gone through every frame and page of Death Note, so he must at least suspect that I'd have a backup plan akin to the Shinigami eyes. In any case, I need to look normal and relaxed right now. This guy, whoever he is, is definitely watching me to see my reaction. That being said, I can use this to my advantage. For example…

'So if you suspect me of being Kira, then I assume it was you who planted those cameras in my room?'

'Oh, you saw those? Right, I remember you found the one on the bookshelf and pulled it out a few days after we installed them. Yeah, we did that.'

'Well at least I-'

'Chrissy!' I instantly spin around to see a familiar freckled redhead staring straight at me.

'What do you want, Alex? Before you ask, I'm not giving you the answers to our math homework. I'll be lucky if I even get it done myself.'

At that moment he unexpectedly grabs my throat and lifts me off the ground. If I were an ordinary kid I'd be shitting myself now.

'Well your bodyguard's dead, so what other choice do you have?' Oh, right, I forgot that Viper was the only thing holding him back before.

'Get off, I have shit to do.' With that I karate-chop his hand, and he instantly releases, dropping me back onto the ground.

'That shit can wait, now let's talk math. You see I've got a game coming up and if my grades don't hold up, I can't play. You wouldn't want our team to start the year with a lost game, wouldn't you?'

'Actually, I couldn't care less about whether or not you play with your balls!' I reply, regaining my sense of balance.

'Well, let me put it this way to you. You give me some "help" with my homework, and my team mates and I won't give you some help in rearranging your face.'

'I'd like to see you try… bitch.'

'Fine then, I'll enjoy this almost as much as football!'

I instinctively prepare my opening moves, launching my first strike at the same moment he does and… nothing. I open my eyes to see "L" with a firm grip on both our arms.

'This doesn't concern you, new kid! Fuck off!'

'It actually does if Chris' involved. Perhaps if you put as much effort into studying as you do into gunboat diplomacy, you could rival us academically. But if you're not going to put any effort into schoolwork on your own, perhaps you shouldn't get to play!'

'I said, this doesn't-' He cuts himself off with his next punch, which Lawliet simultaneously dodges and exploits to throw him on the ground Annie Leonheart-style.

'Fuck! Well don't just stand there, get them!' Alex screams, and I immediately turn to see his buddies all charging toward us.

'This'll be fun, I haven't been in a fight like this in years!' I hear from behind me.

'Wait, Lawliet, you're not going to responsibly diffuse the situation?'

'Well I know violence isn't the answer, but… yes it is.'

 **(Rugo's POV)**

As school finishes for the day, about a third of the students line up for the buses, a third wait to get picked up by their parents, and Chris and the remainder begin walking over to the train station. After everything that's happened today, there are a lot of things I want to ask Chris. But I know that his mental capability drops off slightly in warm or hot weather, and with the sun beating down I can predict how much I'll be able to actually get out of him.

'Isn't you being in such close quarters with L a bad idea?' I begin.

'I don't see why, Rugo. I have to keep a close eye on him to make sure he doesn't find out **I'M KIRA!** '

'Oh you're fucking kidding me.'

'Relax, Rugo. He'll never find out that **I, CHRIS ATARASHIMONO, AM IN FACT KIRA!** '

Just moments later, "L Lawliet" comes within ear shot and approaches him.

'…Chris, it was nice meeting you.'

'Yeah, nice meeting you too, Lawliet.'

'I'll see you around, then. If you want to contact me in the meantime, my temporary email is at KiraSucks .'

'Oh, yeah, of course. Bye.' As "Lawliet"'s assistant opens the door for the antagonist, the other kids take note of the fancy-as-fuck show-off vehicle.

'Look at his car… is that a limo?'

'He some kinda VIP? Or just super-rich?'

Chris himself stays silent, and without a word turns around and continues on toward the train station. The crowd thins out to nothing and as the clouds gather overhead I continue the conversation.

'Okay, so there's no way you can kill him, let alone know if he's the real L.'

'Well, to be honest I'm not really keen on killing L anyway. And I doubt he's the real L, but still, this is a really effective way for him to shield himself from me, and attack at the same time. It may be unoriginal, but it's still a good move.'

'At least this proves that he doesn't have any hard evidence.'

'Yes, that is a relief. Of course, if he did have any hard evidence I'd probably be dead already. Come to think of it, I'd probably be dead by now either way if it weren't for that last-minute game rule I established through the suicide note a few days back.

So now we'll go one-on-one. On the surface, we'll be friends. But below, we'll both be trying to find out who the other one really is. I like this. If Lawliet wants to hang out with me, I'll gladly accept. I'll make him trust me, until I'm off the hook completely. But I'll need to appear full of confidence if I'm to take advantage of him.'


	22. Kissinger

**Alright, so it's been some time since I've looked at the reviews, and… it looks like I've got another question for the Q &A from Alexis Vance, along with some other stuff:**

 ** _I hope you don't just copy-Paste characters with changed names. Every character should be as unique as your main character, I might add._**

 **This was one of the first things Mizu-sensei taught me, and it's an aspect of my writing that I take VERY seriously. In fact, I'd say some of the characters already have more complicated backstories and personalities than Chris himself! Even the** ** _names_** **are all original, the exceptions being canon DN characters, real people or OCs related to real people and the four agents known as Marco, Maes, Clovis and Red, all of whom I deliberately named after four different anime characters with one foreshadowing trait in common.**

 ** _I thought the M rant in last chapter was a parody of Der Untergang, which it is, which is a meme._**

 **I'm glad someone saw that, tbh I was expecting it to go unnoticed for a much longer time, much like all the countless similar things I've scattered over the last 21 chapters which no-one has caught onto yet.**

 ** _The Apple Watch idea is really interesting, I thought of different ones but never thought something like that._**

 **Yeah, I'll be honest, this was one of the harder parts to make, since Luci knowing what Light did kind of takes out all Chris' easy options.**

 **(Dimina's POV)**

Well, this has been a shit start to the day. It appears some of the others are blocking the way to the nearest observation orb, and the last thing I want is to get caught up in a meaningless conversation with them. Luckily, I can go around them without being seen. After silently darting behind the first of several small boulders, each just tall enough to hide behind without crouching, I take a break to listen to what they're actually saying.

'There's lotsa guys looking down real hard at one of the human worlds these days. What's that all about?'

'I heard Rugo's been turned into some human's pet or something.'

'What the hell's he thinking?'

Hmm, so they're talking about Rugo. I jump behind the next rock and pause again.

'Guy probably missed out on seeing what happened all those years ago. Of course, if that were the case he'd be going into the world where _that_ all took place, not his original one.'

'Actually, I was talking about the human.'

'Hmm?'

'Who'd want Rugo for a pet? He ain't cute or nothin'.'

'Kek kek, you're right about that.'

WHAT DID ZELLOGI SAY ABOUT MY RUGO?! I'LL… no, I shouldn't get involved. I'll just stay behind this rock and listen to how to conversation progresses.

'So what kind of human is it? Is it a male like last time?'

'I dunno.'

'I'm going for a look-see myself.'

'Oh, be careful not to bump into Dimina while you're there. She's been getting more and more erratic and trigger-tempered these last few days.'

'THE FUCK DID YOU JUST SAY ABOUT ME?!'

'Oh shit where did you come fr-'

 ***KICK***

 ***SLAP***

 ***PUNCH***

 ***KARATE CHOP***

 ***ONOMATOPOEIA***

…

…

With everyone sprawled over the stony ground, Calikarcha is the first to speak.

'See what I mean? Her attitude problem is-'

'I DON'T HAVE AN ATTITUDE PROBLEM! YOU HAVE A PROBLEM WITH MY ATTITUDE AND THAT'S NOT MY PROBLEM!'

'You know, it's amazing how so much rage can fit inside such a small-'

 ***KICK**PUNCH**KICK**PUNCH**KICK**PUNCH**KICK**PUNCH***

 **'** **DON'T YOU EVER CALL ME SMALL! OR CUTE! OR TINY! OR ADORABLE!'**

 ***KICK**PUNCH**KICK**PUNCH**KICK**PUNCH**KICK**PUNCH***

Now that everyone's sufficiently unconscious, or at least too scared to stop pretending to be, I'll be on my way-

'I'm impressed. Although I must ask: At what point would you like me to save you from yourself?'

I whip around to see the same Shinigami I briefly encountered in November last year, the one who won't tell me anything about him. Ever since then, no, even before then I'd caught a few glimpses of him, but aside from that, nothing. And what about the vague question he asked just now?

'What's that supposed to mean? And how long have you been there?'

Under his breath I hear him mutter in a familiar eastern language: 'This'll be difficult…'

'I HEARD THAT!'

'Hm, really? I was actually unaware that you knew Japanese.'

'I'm over half a millennia old, it goes without saying that I should know a few languages.'

'That makes sense.'

'…You still haven't told me who you actually are.'

'I don't see why it matters. What does, though, is what's going on _down there_ , in Rugo's human world that is.'

'How much do you know about that?'

'…I know enough. But what about you? How would you describe the situation?'

'I'm not saying any more until you tell me who you are.'

He doesn't respond. After staring him down for what feels like the longest of times, I hear a faint, crackled voice behind me.

'Rugo, or rather his human, has gotten himself into a pretty dangerous situation. Now Dimina's worried and she's acting up because she can't go down to protect him.'

'SHUT UP GOOK! I'M NOT ACTING UP!'

'Well in my opinion that's what you're doing.'

'BUT MY OPINION'S THE CORRECT ONE!'

The Shinigami in front of me breaks his silence with, 'Heh, you sound a lot like me when I was a little younger.'

 **'** **SHUT UP! HOW CAN YOU POSSIBLY KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE TO HAVE SOMEONE YOU LOVE FORCED INTO A DANGEROUS, POSSIBLY DEADLY SITUATION WHERE THERE'S NOTHING YOU CAN DO TO HELP THEM?!'**

 **'** **I CAN BECAUSE I'VE BEEN THROUGH EXACTLY THAT!'**

'…Huh?'

'Never mind, you wouldn't understand.' The god of death turns away.

'No, tell me, I'm curious now.'

'Well, you see, back when I was a human, there was a girl who I fell for, while simultaneously putting on a façade of unemotional manliness, which was difficult but manageable. But then, before I knew it she was kidnapped, imprisoned, tortured and threatened with imminent death.'

'Oh …I, I didn't know...'

'But did I sit back and let her die? Fuck no! I did what any caring Kira would do, and I saved her! Granted, it took time, but it worked, and you can do the same if you start thinking less with your heart and more with your brain! Is your inability to protect your comrades that terrifying to you? If you are afraid to lose, then get stronger and smarter. If you want to protect those you love, then do what you have to do to protect them. Even when no one else in the world believes in you, stick out your chest and scream in defiance. The Dimina I know is that kind of woman!'

'Alright! But I'm curious, why do you care so much about this?'

'Because there's a lot more at stake here. At times the life of a single man is worth more than that of a million, I thought it'd be common sense to you. And as you know, there just happens to be one such man down there…'

 **(Chris' POV)**

It isn't too far of a walk to the scheduled meeting place, and even in the midnight darkness it's easy to find the abandoned warehouse as I pass by it every time I go to and from the train station. As I enter the large, dark empty space, I noticed that neither of them have shown up yet.

'They said they'd be here. You think it's a trap?'

Even though this place looks abandoned as always, I still perform my standard precaution of faking a phone call.

' _Ne ne pa-_ '

-Beep-

'Hello?' I begin, which informs Rugo that I'm answering. 'No, I actually arrived early. But to say that I'm on high alert would be an understatement. After all, this is perhaps the most suspicious "secret meeting" I've ever been called to by a classmate, and the fact the two who simultaneously asked me to come here haven't even been known to speak to one another until now is… strange, to say the least. In other news, it's good to know that we've now got a few nations that accepted the deal I offered them back in December.' I'm still keeping my voice really soft in case someone's trying to listen.

'Huh? When did this happen? I've been right by you all this time and I didn't hear anything like that.'

'Wait, you didn't read what I'd added to the missile payloads? Alright, I'll catch you up. Right now there isn't a single nation with a Kiran approval rating above 35%, so if any country announces their acceptance of me, it would immediately lead to riots, mass protests, and in some cases even civil war. So I had each country make a symbolic move that only I would be able to interpret as a response. For example, rather than say anything even related to Kira, I had Germany, Croatia, Iceland and Greece leave NATO, Japan, South Korea and the Philippines end their defense agreements with America, and East Timor, Haiti, India and Sweden denounce their recognition of Israel as a sovereign state while Mexico and Panama announced their recognition of Palestine. I also had the Democratic Republic of the Congo start a major leadership reshuffle that'll hopefully make the country more democratic, Russia announced that they'll hold a referendum on same-sex marriage, and finally I had El Salvador and Malaysia abandon their Rothschild-run central banks and switch to a system resembling Iran's or Russia's.'

'So that's… seventeen nations that accepted, out of the 24 we shot missiles at?'

'Well remember, the one inbound for Canada got shot down. But hey, look on the bright side, we now have at least one ally on every continent!'

'What about Antarctica?'

'Except Antarctica.'

'What about South America?'

'That's not even a real place!'

'Uuh, yes it is.'

'Prove it, then! Have you ever _seen_ South America?! Think of everyone you know who's from South America, is it just a coincidence that they're all actors?'

'Chris, you are the dumbest smart person I have ever met.'

The sudden sound of two sets of rapidly approaching footsteps postpones my counter-insult for later. Sliding my phone back into my pocket I see two familiar faces entering the building, lit only by the moon overhead.

…

…

'So, now that you two are here, are you going to tell me what's so important that you have to tell me in an abandoned warehouse at 1AM in the morning?'

'Connor, do you want to tell him or should I?'

'No, Kallet, you tell him.'

'No, I think he'd be more likely to believe you.'

'No, I-'

'OH MY GOD CAN BOTH OF YOU SHUT UP AND TELL ME WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?!'

'WE THINK L LAWLIET IS THE DETECTIVE L!' They both scream at once.

'…Go on.' I really need to know more before I can jump to any conclusions. Connor answers first.

'It all started when school began yesterday. You see, at different points in the day the new kid approached each of us individually, getting us into an isolated place before announcing "I'm L!". And from the tone of his voice, he wasn't kidding either! Now, when he told me, my first instinct was to ask Kallet what was going on, since I figured she was more likely to be involved with L than anyone else, but she was just as frightened and confused as I was! So we then turned to your sister since she was friends with Viper, who as we all know is the only Kira-related death at Forbes High School so far, and she told us to tell you about it, ideally in a place like this.'

'…Why did she tell you to come to me for help?'

'Dunno. She didn't say.'

Well, it's certainly a relief to know I'm not the only suspect. But right now I think they'll be suspicious of me if I say I wasn't approached like they were, so the best way to prevent that is to honestly share my experience.

'The same thing happened to me at lunchtime. He got me behind the main building and told me he was L, and then…'

'He said you were under suspicion for being Kira? Same with us.'

'Exactly.'

'So what do we do now? I know I'm not Kira, and I'm pretty sure neither of you are, so is this kid for real?' By now Connor's starting to sound nervous, and from the looks in both their faces they're assuming I know what to do. I guess I'll have to come up with something, even if I'm making it up as I go along.

'…Alright, here's what we do going forward. Every day or so the three of us meet up and share any new information or deductions relating to "L Lawliet". Without heavy modification, all electronic forms of communication can be tracked and spied on, so when we communicate it'll have to be in person. Our main priorities will be to find out: Is L Lawliet really L, are we really under suspicion for being Kira, are we the only suspects and if not, how many are there, and how can we protect ourselves from L and the Task Force?'

'Sounds good to me.'

'Agreed. But Chris… L or not, if the new kid so much as touches you wrongly I'll end him without hesitation.'

'What? NONONONO! That is NOT what I'm saying! Kallet, if you kill the new kid, he'll die! And if he actually is L, or anyone on the Task Force for that matter, then his death will be as good as a fingerprint, whether it's a heart attack or not. And if they come to the conclusion that one of us _is_ Kira, then your knives and guns won't do shit against what they'd throw at us. The world would target us in a way that would make Osama Bin Laden's manhunt and execution look like-'

'Alright, alright, I get it, I'm sorry.'

'Don't be. The only times you have to apologize are when you intentionally punch me, and that's only ever happened once so it's okay. For now, like I said, we just need to regularly meet up and share information.'

'Hey, Chris, maybe we'll even get to meet Kira and join his squad! That would be awesome!'

…If only he knew that he's known Kira for years now and is currently looking straight at him... perhaps I actually should let him into my "squad". I mean, however gifted I am I alone can't change the world. But do I trust him enough? Probably not. Although I am curious about one thing…

'Connor, how do you suppose we go from being in the same class as someone who may or may not be on the Task Force, to meeting Kira in person?'

'Well we just somehow use L Lawliet to find out what the investigators know already, and we just continue where they left off!'

'That would require us to be able to investigate faster than a whole team of highly trained professionals, if you plan on us beating them to Kira.' Kallet objects in a very disappointed-sounding tone.

'Well, that doesn't mean we can't pull it off.'

'In any case, what the hell do you think is "awesome" about Kira? Perhaps it's just the result of indoctrination, but I for one hate the bastard, and if I had the chance I'd gladly kill him. And I'm sure Chris here agrees, right?'

'I have no idea why you think I'd think that way. And to be honest I'm actually kind of surprised you're one of _those_ people.'

'Well right now "those people" make up over two-thirds of the Australian population, so don't talk about me like I'm some kind of minority.'

'Indeed, there are very few people in this world who truly understand the ways of Kira.'

 **(Luci's POV)**

'What do you mean you can't tell me?'

'I beg your pardon, sir, but nobody outside the Task Force, even yourself, sir…'

'I'm not asking for details, I'm just asking for details, what you're doing, where you're doing it, how it's being done, with who you're doing it, why you're doing it, what will it cost, what's the weather like, when will it be over? But that's it!'

In case you can't tell who it is I'm speaking to, let me tell you. On the other side of that desk is one of the most vile, disgusting, horrendous men I have ever known, even by my own standards, and no doubt he's about to give me some kind of ear-bashing (or just normal bashing) over how I haven't wrapped up this case yet. However, as much as I've dreaded this meeting, and as much as I hate him, I also respect him, both for his accomplishments and for the fact that everything from the clothes on my back to my Bilderberg membership to my involvement in the Kira case, even my life in fact, all exists thanks to him and him only. This is my father, Henry Kissinger.

'…well, then. Can you at least tell me how far you've narrowed down the suspects?'

'Unfortunately not.' I'm mostly saying this because if he or anyone else outside the Task Force finds out who the current suspects are, I can easily predict that either he or another one of his allies will order the simultaneous extrajudicial assassination (or at least indefinite detainment) of all of them, despite the fact that by now everyone's aware of Kira's warning about what he'd do if we harm any of the innocent. It wouldn't end well for anyone.

'Luci, it's already been over four months since this case first came to light. The media's saying the police are incompetent, that you are incompetent, and worst of all, more and more people are starting to question the legitimacy of an investigation. They're starting to pay attention to Kira.'

'With due respect, dad! The police are so scared of Kira, they've run from the case! Could anybody call that competent?! If you're so concerned about what the media says, then please make damn sure they don't find out that most of the officers on this case have defected!'

'Luci, can I trust you?'

'…Yes, you can trust me. Every day I'm out there risking my life to solve this case. And when I know who Kira is, I promise you I will recover his weapon or power, whatever it is he uses to kill, and then I'll kill him so hard, he will die to death!'

'Well you better! If not, this weatherman is predicting a 99% chance of shitstorm and it's coming right at ya!' He slams his fist on the extremely expensive-looking wooden desk.

'Ahem, wasn't it YOU who came up with this whole idea in the first place?'

'It was my great idea had you succeeded already, now it's your stupid idea. Got it? I didn't select you for your stupid ideas I selected you because of your Midas touch.'

'Select?! I'm literally the only detective you could've chosen!' As I finish my sentence a crack of thunder shakes the building, a large storm quickly blanketing over the sky.

'…Yeah, you got me there. But in any case, I can only hold off the others for so long from taking military action against Kira. Fear, paranoia and impatience are a very dangerous combination, especially for them. I mean, have you heard what's been happening around the world lately? NATO's lost four members, three of our biggest allies in Asia have gone neutral on us, two more nations have separated their central banking systems from our control Russia-style… the current plan is for us to make an example out of these countries, but if this keeps up-'

'FOR THE LAST FUCKING TIME, I'LL DO IT! AFTER ALL, IF HE WINS THEN THAT PUTS ME IN THE SAME SINKING SHIP AS THE REST OF YOU!'

…

…

'…I'll try to give you as much time as a can. Just remember, son, history is written by the victors. If we succeed in capturing and killing Kira, he is evil. If he wins and saves the world, he is justice.'

'I won't let you down… father.'

With that he gestures for me to leave the room, and I do so. He's right, Kira is ruining everything for us and at a much faster pace than we originally predicted. But that only makes me even more determined to win. As I leave the secret headquarters and Q opens the door to the car for me, I look back at the building, the very place where the Bilderberg group will meet again in a few months, and again I will be among them. Let's hope I have good news to share by then.

 **(Henry's POV)**

Wir sehen uns in Valhalla.


	23. Play

**Alrightey, big news! Eleventh grade has started IRL now, so what little traces of a schedule I had before are now out the window, and the current release date for all subsequent chapters is "you're guess is as good as mine". The same goes for updating the wikia, so if someone could keep that all up-to-date that'd be nice. The same also goes for updating my** ** _I, Kira_** **Pinterest page too. Well, maybe it won't be that but, but be prepared. Also, shoutout to TruBlu Ozzie for following** ** _私は、キラ_** **** ** _/ I, Kira_** **! I also have another comment from Alexis Vance, who is now the origin for 70% of the comments I've gotten so far:**

 ** _Great chapter, although the progression of the story in the last few chapters has been kind of fast, I did not expect L entering the school that fast. Interesting concept of L's father._**

 **Well, in the original series L Lawliet joins Light's college when it starts, but since Japan's colleges start later in the year and this is a high school and time goes backwards in Australia etc etc Luci jumps into Chris' life a bit earlier than normal. Now, when I was first designing Luci's backstory I'd played around with him being a Rothschild or Rockefeller, or a relatively normal person like the original L, but in the end I went with him being a Kissinger for various reasons.**

 **(Chris' POV)**

'I must say, I really am excited to hear what the annual end-of-year school play is going to be! It's one of my favorite things every year!'

'You sure about that?'

'Of course! Didn't you see my kick-ass performance last year?'

'Chris, you were a tree. You didn't even have any lines.'

'…Shut up, Rugo.'

As I enter the clean, shiny drama building, a blast of cool air hits me from the newly-installed AC, and I see all the drama club's usual members have arrived already… and "L Lawliet". As I take my seat, MR Orok begins the meeting from the front of the stage.

'Okay everyone, I'm sure you're all excited about what our play will be this year, and for that we're trying something different. Now I'm sure you're all aware of recent events that have occurred around the world and in our own country in the last few months, specifically relating to a certain controversial individual known as-'

'FUCK TRUMP!'

'…No, Harrison, what I meant was "Kira".'

The fuck?! There's going to be a play based on something in this century?!

'What we were thinking was to have a new kind of performance this year, one which is considered by many to be the original inspiration for Kira's ongoing killing spree and L's pursuit of him. Introducing our 2017 annual eleventh grade stage play: _Death Note_ , the musical!'

WHAT?! I mean, death and violence have been commonplace in our plays going back to fifth grade, BUT THIS?! Sure, the otaku population of Forbes High School may be as high as over 10 percent of the entire student body, but so far everything we've done… there's something up here. They wouldn't come up with this idea on their own, in fact at the end of last year I remember glimpsing a letter on the Drama teacher's desk mentioning this year's performance as some more Shakespearean crap. No, it's obvious what's going on here. The Kira Task Force already has at least three suspects in this grade (including myself), all of whom actively take part in the annual play every single year. And if anything's going to reveal our true natures, it's this. So as much as I'd love to play the role of Light Yagami, I suppose that's not possible.

Then again, that's probably what Lawliet expects me to think. If I refrain from trying out for the role of Light, it'll just show him that there's a reason I did so, which could only be that I am Kira and don't want to be caught out by accident. So my only option is to try out for the role, and not fuck anything up at all. That way, he'll think that I'm going ahead with my try-out because I have nothing to hide, and hence nothing to worry about. It makes sense, after all if I weren't Kira I'd have no reason to even question my application for the role. Officially my public stance on Kira is neutral due to my fabricated sense of rage following Viper's death, although some of my closest friends see me as leaning slightly toward Team Kira, and my mother and sister know my position perfectly, minus the fact that I actually am Kira.

...Either way, this'll be a fun performance.

 **(Rugo's POV)**

Well, this is a really unusual turn of events. No doubt Luci Kissinger, or "L Lawliet" as everyone else knows him, planned this out. Although I'm actually even more impressed that the whole drama club managed to memorize the entire overall plot of _Death Note_ in a mere two hours! Now the auditions are taking place, and each student is trying out for their most preferred part by singing one of the character's songs. But I must admit, it's almost funny how cheerful and non-serious some of the characters' main songs are. Like, here's one of the kids trying out for the role of the narrator right now:

'Who has a Death Note from a Shinigami?

Light-Ya-ga-mi!

Who kills every criminal that he can see?

Light-Ya-ga-mi!

If creating a new world be something you wish,

Light-Ya-ga-mi!

Kira will do it with his notebook and his bitch!

Light-Ya-ga-mi!...'

See what I mean? These humans are hilariously…

…

…

…what was that?

I shoot up through the building to see what the faint yet recognizable noise was that I'd just heard. It must've been inaudible to everyone else, but it sounded like some loud, distant cracking sound, coming from really high over the school, in the direction of the city I think. It was almost like… a sonic boom? Only quieter, much quieter, as if the object making it was much smaller than an aircraft. Something's clicking at the back of my mind, but I can't clearly tell what it is.

As I descend back through the ceiling I hear a familiar feminine voice finish her song with:

'And I got a blank space baby… and I'll write your name.'

 ***APPLAUSE***

'That was an excellent performance, Miss Vimerica. You'll certainly make a good Misa Amane. Okay, next up we have Chris Atarashimono, trying out for the part of main character Light Yagami!'

Looks like I've returned just in time to see how he does. I take my seat on the floor in an empty spot between the other students, right in front of Luci, and an altered version of a familiar soundtrack begins, followed a few seconds later by-

'I'll TAKE A PO-TA-TO CHIP AND EAT IT!

HA! HA! HA! HA!

PO-TA-TO CHIP AND EAT IT!

HA! HA! HA! HA!

PO-TA-TO CHIP AND EAT IT!

Dun-dun-dun-dun-dun-dun-dun-dun

As I write in the Death Note…'

So if Chris is trying out for Light, and Luci's probably trying out for L, it'll be interesting to see how that plays out over the course of the year. At the very least it'll-

 **Wait, I remember now!**

The sound, it's just the same as… could it really be her? I jump back up above the school and look around, not seeing anything. But I'm sure, I'm sure that was the same sound I heard back then, right before I first met her, back in that now-Polish forest all those years ago… us Shinigami can make ourselves pass through matter at will, but she deliberately kept herself solid as she plummeted down through the stratosphere, hence the identifying boom. I don't know any other Shinigami that does that. Well, then again, I've never seen any other Shinigami pass through the portal at all, so technically I haven't seen any not do that either. It wouldn't be too big a stretch of the imagination for her to follow me down here, but why?

Well, I guess I'll just have to wait and see. In the meantime, how are the drama tryouts going? Swooping down again I see Luci on the stage, finishing his own application song.

'While I know not how he kills without a knife or a gun, Mr Yagami, I suspect that Kira is your son.'

 ***APPLAUSE***

What?! Why's everyone applauding when they finish but not when Chris does? That's not fair!

 **(Chris' POV)**

'So Chris, I assume you're ready for our game?' Lawliet asks as the two of us sit down at opposite ends of the round glass table and finish setting up the board. If there's one thing I have to credit him for, it's his idea that we play here in the drama club room, where the temperature isn't completely unbearable and there aren't any distracting rays of sunlight like in the library.

'Indeed, Lawliet, although I never thought you'd ask us to play chess as a way to play chess. But when you challenged me to this, did you know how good I am?' I give as much of a genuine smile as I can.

'Don't worry, Chris. Back in America I beat nearly every opponent I had.'

Now if I ask him if he's American, will he think I'm probing him as Kira? Who cares, I'll try anyway.

'So you grew up in America?'

'That sounds like something Kira would ask.'

Fuck.

'Yes, I did, although over the last few years I've seen just about every other spot on the map as well. But save your breath. It's absolutely impossible to figure out my identity from that fact.'

Oh really?

'So, just one game, normal rules apply. All right with you?'

'Fine by me.'

He couldn't possibly be planning to do some psychological profile of me as Kira, just from the way I play.

 **(Luci's POV)**

This is just a simple game of chess, nothing more. It's not enough to determine if he might be Kira. But Kira hates losing…

'Lawliet, how about you start.' Chris must be awfully confident to suggest that.

'Okay. Remember, he who strikes first strikes first.'

 **(Indy's POV)**

'And then he was like, "Something that would be really hilarious would be a really good porn video that has a random jumpscare halfway through. A bunch of guys would be ripping their dicks off when it came up which would be goddamn hilarious!"'

'Oh my god, Katashi! What kind of friends do you have?!' I must say, having Katashi here surely does ease the boredom of having to write some shit poem for English at lunchtime the day before it's due. And without him the whole library would be dead-silent, something I really hate to work in.

'Oh, Indy, also I've been thinking, now there's a chance someone might be spying on us so I won't use the exact word, but you know how your brother is… special?'

'Yeah?'

'And I remember you once recalled him talking to his you-know-what about expanding his little… group?'

'Yeah? But remember, the three of us that know about him have agreed to stay neutral for the time being.'

'Oh, sure, sure. But let's say he does expand his little team into some super-squad like the Batman squad or the X-men. Now, every X-men squad needs a Blackbird, right? And every Batman squad needs a Batplane, right?'

'I don't get what you're saying.'

'Well, as you know my father happens to work in the producing-custom-made-private-jets industry, and I'm thinking if I play my cards right I can get us our own supersonic personal transport.'

'Wouldn't that be, like, insanely expensive?'

'If we were starting from scratch, yes. But he happens to own an SR-71 which, despite spending the last few years in a hangar in the middle of nowhere, should still be able to fly with a bit of maintenance and revamping. And depending on how things go it could be improved and upgraded further.'

'Well that all certainly sounds… ambitious, to say the least.'

'But if he's going to play with the geopolitical chessboard, he'll need some way of privately traversing to where he's needed. He'll only be able to go so far if he's stuck here in Australia. Then again, I myself know very little about the aforementioned chessboard, so I could be completely wrong with my assumptions.'

'I guess it's fun to think about, at least.'

For the next few minutes I strugglingly continue to write my poem in silence before I hear a familiar eleventh-grader voice a few tables in front of me.

'Hey, Kallet! Chris and Lawliet are playing chess!'

'Does it look serious?'

'That would be an understatement!'

Connor and Kallet talking to one another? Either of them being concerned about a mere game of chess between Chris and Lawliet? Someone putting up a fight against Chris in chess without losing in a matter of miliseconds? This doesn't sound good.

'Katashi, something's just come up. I'll be back soon-ish.'

'Is it about your brother?'

'Huh? How'd you know?'

'I'm sitting right next to you, you think I didn't hear what those two said? Now what about your English poem? It's due tomorrow!'

'Well, how much do I have left?' Clicking back on the word document, I see what I've written so far.

 _'_ _I will bitch about heat_

 _I will bitch about cold._

 _I will bitch about sunshine_

 _And about growing old._

 _I will bitch about everything_

 _Inside and out._

 _You will find there is nothing_

 _I can't bitch about.'_

'That's good enough, I'll edit it this afternoon!'

'If this chess game is so important, I'll come too.'

'Yeah, sure, whatever.'

 **(Connor's POV)**

'Damn, Connor, look at this crowd.'

'Well almost nobody was watching when I left three minutes ago. But it only makes sense, if Chris is having trouble defeating an opponent, well that hasn't happened in years so a game like this would draw people in.'

After finding herself a gap through which to watch the game, Kallet turns to me with a curious look. 'Has it really been years? Is he that good at chess?'

'Oh, it's not just chess he's known for. A few days ago a giant wasp flew into our classroom and everyone was freaking out, and _that kid_ shouts "I GOT THIS!" and pulls out a fucking rubber band and shoots it down in one try! Everyone just stood there, no-one knew how to react.'

'Why am I only hearing about this now?'

'It was on Monday, I think you were away on that day.'

'Oh, right that was one of the days I was busy building up my web of connections with the- I mean, I was sick! Yeah, that's it, I was just a bit unwell.'

'…seems legit.' Turning back to the game I see that Chris is seriously putting everything into it, and he looks great while doing it. It's going by fast. Literally. Their hands are like fizzy blades of death! Okay maybe not _that_ fast but still! What could the two of them be thinking right now?

 **(Luci's POV)**

Relax, Atarashimono. Kira hates to lose, but you don't have to be Kira to want to win a game of chess.

I slide a pawn forward, taking out one of Chris' with ease.

'Wow, Luci, you sure don't fuck around.' He then proceeds to make a rather unusual move.

'You're moving your king already on your twelfth turn?'

'If the king doesn't move, how can he expect his subordinates to follow? And besides, this is one of the main moves of the chess-winning strategy that has been passed down the Atarashimono family for generations!'

 **(Chris' POV)**

Is he gonna think that I'm Kira if I go for the win? I suppose just lose on purpose, but if I do it could work against me. Since he'd expect Kira to win he might also expect me to forfeit the match in order to avoid suspicion.

 **(Luci's POV)**

But that means that you're Kira regardless of if you win or lose this game! It seems I've found our culprit. At least, I wish it were that simple. But he probably isn't even involved with Kira… no, when first I told Chris I was L, I saw fire in those eyes.

Now, so far neither of us has pursued discussion of the case. It would be weird to talk about it when we don't even know each other.

 **(Chris' POV)**

As if we'd really "get to know each other" by playing chess. This is just a pretext for us to say "now we're friends".

 **(Luci's POV)**

You'll think that, by playing this game, I've laid the groundwork for getting to know you better.

 **(Chris' POV)**

After we finish this game, he'll bring up the Kira case again. He'll try to make me say something only Kira would know.

 **(Luci's POV)**

I told you I was L, saying I thought you might be able to help us solve the case. I'm positive you're going to make use of that.

 **(Chris' POV)**

But if we're going to talk about it, it's obvious that I'd want some proof that you really are L as you say you are. You'll say, "If we're going to talk about the Kira case, you'll first need to hear some details of the investigation so you know you can trust me". If you share details of the investigation with me, that'll give me an advantage. At the same time, gaining such information will reduce my risk of saying something that I should have no knowledge of.

 **(Luci's POV)**

What you're going to ask me to do now is to meet with a reliable third party who can confirm that I'm L. So what you're going to suggest to me is that we should go to the Task Force headquarters together. Whoever makes the first move wins.

 **(Chris' POV)**

You can't ever win if you're always on the defensive. TO WIN, YOU MUST ATTACK!

I confidently advance my remaining pawn onwards, wiping out Luci's last bishop. Now there's no way-

'Heh. Heh, heheheheHAHAHAHA! Sorry, Chris, but you've just lost yourself the game.'

'Huh, what are you talking about? I completely-'

'Checkmate.'

My eyes dart over the board, and within a few seconds I see that he was right. He got me. But how, how didn't I see it coming?

'And the winner is L Lawliet!' I hear from Harry in the crowd, his bright red eyes and black hair quite closely resembling the colors of my emotions right now, or something.

'…You beat me, Lawliet…'

'Yes, but I will admit you put up one hell of a fight. That's the first time I've played for real in ages.' He admits with a slight chuckle.

He beat me. I lost. How… how is that possible?! I haven't lost a game since… fuck.

'From what I saw, here's my thoughts on why you lost, Atarashimono. You used most of your pieces effectively, but you somehow left your queen completely exposed without even knowing it, allowing me to take her early on. And without a queen, the king will inevitably lose.'

'You know, an ancient Japanese legend says that if you shut the fuck up you won't be so annoying.'

'Oh come on, Chris, you don't have to be so full of hate just because I won.'

'Actually, I am not "full of hate" as if I were some passive container. I am a generator of hate, and my rage is a renewable resource, like sunshine. I'm surprised you couldn't figure that much out by now.'

 **(Indy's POV)**

'Okay Tom, what was so important that you had to drag me here in person about it right after school?' I ask as I step into his dimly-lit room filled with computer game merchandise, computer game posters and some presumably recent stuff related to _Death Note_.

'Indy, I think something big has just happened.'

'As in…?'

'Well, you're familiar with the world of _Death Note_ by now, right? Specifically the fact the Shinigami come from another world through some kind of portal?'

'Well, yeah.'

Spinning around on his swivel chair, he opens up a tab on his computer to show a world map, overlain with a series of blurry multi-colored shapes and patterns.

'This here is a map of the Earth's gravitational field, as it normally is. As you can see, the only major factors affecting it are latitude and terrain, neither of which suddenly change position. So it makes sense that this map shouldn't change much, right? And indeed, it never has since I started keeping track of it… until five hours ago.'

Clicking on a new tab he shows me a second map, similar to the first one but with a big blue spot radiating out from a position on Australia's east coast.

'For less than a minute, something massive popped up out of nowhere 40 kilometers above sea level, more or less directly above where we are now. Indy, I don't know a whole lot about gravity or physics, but if my hunch is right, this is the portal to the Shinigami realm briefly opening up to allow something to pass through.' I quickly recall what happens next in _Death Note_.

'You think there could be a second Kira?'

'It's a possibility. But to be honest, this is all just a hunch. I don't even know the first thing about how such a portal would actually function, let alone if it would be able to affect gravity.'

'…wormholes.'

'Huh?'

'I remember my brother once mentioned it to me when we were watching one of his nerdy movies together a while ago, how there's a way two points in three-dimensional space can be connected through four-dimensional hyperspace to create a much shorter route, allowing instantaneous transportation between any two points in the universe. And while I don't remember the rest of what he said, I do remember that the wormhole in the movie has clearly visible gravity, despite being only a few dozen times as wide as the spaceship itself. I'll need to update Katashi of this.'

'But didn't he say he doesn't care about anything Kira-related?'

'He did, but I think things have changed. Besides, he should at least know when his girlfriend is alerted of a potentially dangerous situation.'

'I wouldn't call it dangerous. In fact, I think Chris'll know just how to handle such a situation. He is, after all, one of the most intelligent-'

*RING RING*

'You don't have a cool ringtone?'

'Shut up Tom.' -Beep- 'Hello? India Atarashimono speaking.'

' _Hey sis, you think it'll be safe if I try to slide down the stairs using mum's ironing board? I need to know before the camera I've set up runs out of battery._ '

…Yup, that's humanity's last hope and self-proclaimed guardian. We're fucked.


	24. Her

**Sooo… it's been a while. And I'm not going to lie, the time between updates will probably be consistently more than during the holidays, and there isn't a whole lot I can do about that. In the meantime, shoutout to Alexis Vance for favoriting and following** ** _I, Kira_** **, and also for giving his review of the previous chapter:**

 ** _Isn't a Death Note play in school going too over the top? I mean, I should've really told you when you said that sword can cut through titanium. Anyways, playing chess instead of tennis was kind of different but it wasn't that unique. My guess is that it's because you're making your Kira kind of Lelouch-ish, with the costume and speeches and all that._**

 **I know, and as Chris' monologue implied, this play would NEVER happen in reality without Luci's powerful influence. As for chess, I only used it because it's a good game to use for both simplifying strategies and foreshadowing. At the very least it fits in better than tennis. And as for "the costume and speeches and all that", well I'd been planning to fully implement that side of** ** _I, Kira_** **since the beginning, and long before I even heard of** ** _Code Geass_** **. So while stuff like the costume design was largely based on Lelouch's, pretty much everything else is less like direct inspiration and more like convergent evolution.**

 **Now it appears that AV got bored waiting for this chapter and reviewed some of the earlier ones:**

 ** _There is no such thing as "Completely immune to all types of tracking or spying". This is one of the unrealistic parts of the story that keeps bothering me._**

 **You, sir, are right! But I'm still ahead of Tsugumi in that at least I acknowledged this, and while Light's overpowered intelligence no doubt could've found some solution to the problem, he should've at least mentioned it. So yes, Chris' solution to the issue may have been unrealistic, but at least he had one.**

 ** _*'Hundreds in Iraq have been killed in a series of suicide bombings performed by the Islamic State. The exact number of casualties is unknown at this time, but it may well be over 9000…'*_**

 ** _I know that *It's over 9000!* is a meme, but shouldn't it start with *Thousands in iRaq have been...*?_**

 **Alright, this is an interesting one. The original wording was a more realistic "The exact number of casualties is unknown at this time, but it may be well over 500…", but when I changed it I kept the first bit the same for a simple reason:** ** _Casualties_** **and** ** _Fatalities_** **are two very different things, and in terrorist attacks the former is usually several times the latter. So while only "hundreds" were killed in this fictional attack, the total casualties (fatalities plus non-fatal injuries) could've easily reached the figures stated. Also your miscapitalization of Iraq makes it sound like an Apple product.**

 **Oh, and by the way, if you think Tankukattā and Tom's IT skills are stretching reality, you have no idea what kind of stuff the future of** ** _I, Kira_** **will bring.**

 **(Lauren's POV)**

Adults will teach you to stand up for yourself and fight for what you believe in until what you believe in is different to what they do. Nowhere is this more visible than in regards to Kira. L, my father and a majority of the world's population may hate him, but I know what is right, and I understand that the correct path to take isn't always the one traversed by the most people. Besides, if it weren't for anonymous vigilante figures acting outside the law in the name of justice, well, I wouldn't be here today. I don't want anyone else to go through what my brother and I did on that day, so I cautiously support Kira. I keep a folder on my computer with saved screenshots from news articles and other websites, I avidly watch whenever he's talked about on TV and I've gone over his three appearances several times each. It feels good, but until now I was fine with no active part in it. My father's the chief of ANPA, so I can't join any rallies or even let anyone aside from my brother know my true thoughts.

I still remember that evening as if it were yesterday, well, that's probably because it was yesterday. I'd just come home after a particularly hard day at school and collapsed on my bed, and there it was. The Death Note. Or rather, one of them. At first I assumed it to be a simple prank of Tom's, but then-

*Creak*

Huh? Was that the fridge door downstairs? What the hell? I'm the only one home, so… fuck. I quickly grab my knife from its sheath under my bed and quietly descend downstairs. Turning to the kitchen I freeze in shock.

'Don't be afraid, I'm just-'

 **'** **YAAAAAA!'**

…

I open my eyes to see the knife embedded about five milimeters into the white cupboard door. Did that thing just dodge me?

'Even if your attack was faster, I could've just turned intangible. So, how's it goin'?'

Pulling the knife out of the door, I reply on instinct. 'Fine… and you?'

'I'm great!'

'Oh, outstanding. May I ask something?'

'Sure.'

'Well it's nothing big, you know, take your time with it and all but WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU?!'

'I'm a Shinigami, and my appearance to you means you have touched the Death Note.' It extends its hand towards me. 'Dimina Corabelle.'

Unsure if it wants a formal handshake or just to help me get back up off the floor, I do an awkward combination of both. '…A Shinigami. Huh. Nice to meet you, Dimina, I'm Lauren Blackheart. I must say, I thought I'd get a Shinigami that looks more like, y'know, a Shinigami.'

It's only a bit over half my height, and if it weren't for the wings, the timing or the unnaturally red hair and eyes, I may have even mistaken it for a human. Its face looks like that of a European girl, English I think, of around fourteen or so years of age.

'Yeah, well, I'm about as human as they get. Still, I think I look very sophisticated. So from the fact you're not questioning my self-introduction, I assume you've already used the Death Note and know that it's real?'

'Yup. I had each member of 1D die in different ways so I'd be able to test my limits and abilities at the same time as I validated the notebook's power.'

'And where is it, by the way?'

'…Upstairs, in a secret compartment on the underside of my desk.'

Without another word she runs out of the room and up the stairs, and I follow.

'So… is it what Kira uses?'

'Yes, that boy has one like it. Another Shinigami dropped it and he picked it up. And that's why I'm here.' Well that- wait, did she say it was a boy?

 **[FANGIRL THOUGHTS INTENSIFY]**

I take out the notebook, and stare at its white cover with the iconic words "DEATH NOTE" in black writing, like an exact inversion of the device wielded by Light Yagami.

'If I use it right… I can meet him. Not only that, I can team up with him! We can work together to defeat L! ...Just to be sure, it is a "him", right?'

'Yup, and he's about your age, too.' She continues, gazing out the window.

'Is he single?'

'I don't know.'

'What do you mean you don't know?'

'Well, the observation orbs back in the Shinigami world do have their limitations. For one thing, while they allow one to see what's happening in the human world, it doesn't detect sound, so the only way one can decipher dialogue is through lip-reading. Also, the orbs can't see through cloud cover, or ceilings for that matter. But aside from those restrictions, I've been keeping a constant eye on those two for months.'

'Two?'

'Him and Rugo. Rugo's the other Shinigami, and he's also the closest thing to a family I have, aside from my sister who I haven't seen in nearly a century.'

'…So who's Kira?'

'Not sayin'. Where's the fun if you already know?'

'Well, then let me ask one thing: the Death Notes, Shinigami, Shinigami eyes, is that all the same in reality as in _Death Note_?'

'I've only seen and read little bits of it, but so far it appears to be so.'

So the Shinigami eyes are a card in my hand. But cutting my life in half means I'll lose a lot. In any case, it's my life so I should be the one who decides what to do with it. But I'll think about all that later, after all I can barely take in what's happening now.

'So this is a real Death Note.'

'Yep.'

'And you're a real Shinigami.'

'Yep.'

'And you've come to the human world to protect your boyfriend?'

'What? No! How on Earth did you come to that conclusion?!'

'Well, that's what it sounded like.'

'Look, as far as he knows, we're just friends or something. I've never actually had a good chance to tell him about my feelings for him.'

'So that's why you're here?'

'Again, no! I just want to keep him safe, that's all. I can't protect him if he's down here and I'm up there, so I had to come down. I've already seen him die once and I'm not letting it happen again. Anyway, now that I'm here, let's play a game called "you bring me food and I eat it".'

 **(Chris' POV)**

Once the waiter is out of earshot I begin.

'This is one of my favorite coffee shops. If we sit here in the back, nobody can hear what we're talking about.' I'm not lying, I do like this booth, hidden in the corner. It's so secluded I've even sometimes managed to talk to Rugo without using my phone trick.

'I can see why you like this place. It sucks. But it'll do.'

'Yeah, for one thing, back here nobody's going to be staring at you for sitting like that' I say breezily, no longer caring about politeness.

'I don't sit like this because I want to, I sit like this because I want to. Besides, I'm pretty sketchy looking either way, so it makes no difference. So what did you want to ask me?'

'That can wait until you're positive that I'm not Kira. So you go ahead and start, Lawliet.' I take a quick sip from my tea.

'Well as you know, I believe that you are Kira, but I also want you to work with us, but all the while keeping some distance.'

'Listen Lawliet, I'm telling you right now I'm not Kira.'

'In that case… I don't mean to be rude, but can I test your reasoning abilities?'

I nod. 'Sure, Sounds fun.' No doubt he's testing me to see if I say anything only Kira could know. But if I clam up, afraid of letting something slip, does that make me Kira too? Well, to earn some points for later, I need to show him that I do have some powers of deduction. The way things stand, he has no proof that I'm Kira (evidenced from the fact I'm still alive) and I have no way of proving that I'm not. I need him to trust me if I can work my way into the Task Force. I'll be fine. I know what's been reported, and what hasn't. Rugo and I have gone over it several times.

'To start… when's your birthday?'

'December 5.'

'What year?'

'Every year.'

'Okay… next, does the fact that I told you I'm L tell you anything?'

'Hmm, let's see. It indicates you have some hopes that my knowledge of your involvement in the case will help the investigation, and that, unless the real L is using you as expendable cannon fodder, which wouldn't surprise me, he's deduced that even if you tell a suspect that you're L, you won't be killed. And that would confirm the suspicions circulating in the public that Kira needs both a face and a name in order to kill.'

'Correct. Kira does need both a face and a name to kill.'

'…and the probability that you're really L is extremely low.'

'How so?'

'If I were L, I would reason that it's enough to have a subordinate approach a suspect and tell him that they're L. The real L needs to stay someplace safe at all times. Even when he's using the police or the military, he needs to do that from the shadows, out of view.'

'I see… you're right that anyone calling himself L puts himself in danger. And why would he come out into the open now, when he's never known to have shown himself before… It would be stupid for the real L to do such a thing. Yeah, I really should've thought this through.'

'Come to think of it, there's really no way of knowing if "L" even exists as a single detective. For all I know there could be a whole team of Ls, disguising themselves as a single entity.' As Lawliet silently takes in my deduction, he reaches his hand into his back pocket and pulls out three immediately recognizable photographs, setting them on the table.

'Now for the reading comprehension portion of the test. These are photographs of three notes, written by prison inmates while under Kira's control just prior to their deaths. You can take twenty seconds to look them over, please let me know what you think.'

Jeez, this is child's play. But first…

'Now are these the only three notes?'

'…Yes,' my opponent grumpily responds, no doubt originally planning to surprise me with some adaptation of the "fourth note" trick. I lean forward and pick up the three pictures in my hand, faking curiosity at their contents.

Now, he knows I know _Death Note_ , and he should know that I'd remember the scene where L played this same card on Light, so if I don't show him what the message says that'll just imply that I'm deliberately dumbing myself down, or that I have something to hide.

'…It would be quite amazing to learn that not only can Kira kill others but could also kill his victims, now if you line these notes up side by side by side by side and look at the first letter of every line it reveals a message. Or rather, a question. The order that makes the most sense reads out as "L, do you know, my god of death speaks German?"'

'That's correct but, Kira or not, I didn't expect any less from you.'

'Well, either way I doubt these notes will lead you to Kira. I mean, we all know gods of death don't speak German.'

'That and they don't exist either.'

'Oh, yeah, that's what I meant.' I try my very best not to react to the fact Rugo's sitting right next to me and is listening to every word we say.

'Alright, now let's suppose you're me. If you came face to face with someone who might be Kira, how would you try to determine if he was?' The man's unmoving figure is still curled up on his seat. Now is he expecting me to give the same answer Light did when asked the same question by the original L, or should I come up with something new? Ah, I'll just go with the latter, because why the hell not.

'I'd disguise myself as someone else and at the most unexpected moment shout "Kirasayswhat?".'

Fuck, that's not what I meant to say. I quickly take in another gulp of tea to avoid saying something even more stupid.

'…That's the most ridiculous thing I've heard, but I still like it. I've asked countless detectives the same question, and most of them immediately thought of a scenario in which Kira is speaking to the investigator. But you took nearly a minute to even come up with an answer. It's incredible.'

'You make it sound like if I do too well, I'm under even more suspicion.'

'Indeed. Now it's up to forty percent. However, this also increases my desire to have you assist us in the investigation. Even if you are Kira, I'd like you to help us. Do you understand my logic?'

'…If I cooperate with you there's a chance I can help the investigation to move forward. And if I'm Kira I might cooperate with you, and if I cooperate with you there's a chance I can help the investigation to move forward. And if I cooperate with you and help the investigation to move forward, there's a chance I can reveal myself. But I think you've got me all wrong, Lawliet. While it's true I'm interested in the Kira case, and I'll even be willing to cooperate with you when necessary, I'm not Kira and I sure as shit don't want to get killed by him or one of his subordinates. I'm not going to help someone I can't even trust and end up getting murdered. I'd rather think about the case on my own for now. And anyway, you can't prove to me that you aren't Kira, either. So we're in the same position, basically. Think about it from my perspective. Is it fair that you get to question me but I can't question you? Anybody looks at us, all they see are two high-schoolers. In fact, most people would probably say you're more likely to be Kira than me. And the red contact lenses certainly aren't helping. Neither of us can prove we aren't Kira. But if you're L, or even just a stand-in for L, you should be able to prove that. I'm talking about having a reliable third party, for example someone on the Task Force or one of L's superiors, tell me straight out that you're L, or at the very least a part of this investigation. If you can't do that until I'm proved innocent, then I'll just have to investigate on my own.'

He seems somewhat surprised from my rebuttal. 'I never once said I wouldn't let you meet with the rest of the Task Force. I'm working directly with them all, in fact. Am I correct in understanding that if I take you to our de facto headquarters, you'll help us in the investigation?'

Wait what? What's he thinking? I life the coffee mug up to my face but am distracted by the sudden blaring of a familiar ringtone coming from Lawliet's other back pocket, said ringtone being L's theme soundtrack from the _Death Note_ anime.

'Excuse me.' He says as he holds the phone up to his ear in a normal, non-L fashion. He then asks into the phone with an absent expression which turns to abrupt seriousness as his eyes widen in shock, and then go absent-expressioned again.

'…Alright, I'll be there ASAP.' -Beep- 'Well, this is convenient timing. One of our agents has been hospitalized, perhaps you can tag along as I go make sure he's okay.'

'You mean you can show me the Task Force today?'

'Sure, why not?'

Twenty minutes later the two of us, well four including Rugo and "Q", enter the room and I see one faintly recognizable officer pull up chairs for us and one completely unfamiliar face laying in the hospital bed. As soon as he sits down Luci breaks the silence.

'So no-one else showed up? It's just you two? And Blackheart, is it just me or did you get a haircut?'

'No, I got them all cut.'

'…'

'…'

'Chris, these are agents Wonder Waffle and-'

'Nigel Blackheart, chief of ANPA. I've heard about you. Since you've had some level of involvement in nearly every interesting case Australia has seen in years, I suspected you'd be in this investigation as well. After Lawliet told me he was L, I started doing some serious research into anyone who could be on the case, and, well, I didn't find much, but I did read about some impressive stuff that's been done by some officers.'

The man looks at me with a sense of curiosity. 'Hm, for a Kira suspect you sure don't act scared to talk about this stuff. If I were Kira I'd just act like I hadn't heard of anyone here-' Lawliet cuts him off with not a shred of emotion in his eyes.

'Before you ask, I've told the Task Force everything. Including the fact that I'm L.'

Lawliet and I both look back to the chief, who confirms, 'That's right, this is L. We've been calling him "Luci" so that nobody finds out, but this is definitely him.' If this is really L, or at the very least he's the L who's been giving orders to the police so far... Well, no need to rush things. If I take my time watching him…

Turning back to the comfortingly Japanese-looking man in the hospital bed, "Luci" asks, 'So tell me how exactly you got yourself landed in a hospital.'

'I found this white candy on the ground and popped it in my mouth.'

'Then what happened?'

'Well, it turns out it wasn't candy…'

'I'm not following…'

'Umm, it got stuck in my throat and I've had a stiff neck for hours.'

'Wait, then how'd you get out of being charged for drug possession?'

'Apparently if you score negative on an IQ test they give you a free pass out of everything!'

…

…

'So Luci, has talking to this suspect cleared away your suspicions?'

'No, Blackheart. I'll be honest, all his comments regarding the Kira case were just too on-the-ball. It's made me suspect him even more.'

'Well out of our four main suspects, I'd say he-'

 **'** **SHUT UP OKADA! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU THINKING! YOU CAN'T SAY THAT!'**

From the sudden simultaneous reaction from Q, Luci and Blackheart, I doubt he slipped up on purpose, so the Task Force probably does have four main suspects. Myself, Connor and Kallet are all certainly in there, but who's the fourth one?

'In any case, Okada, I bet you're only saying that because Chris is the only Japanese suspect. You people always tend to look out for your own kind.'

In his defense I confess. 'Well, I'm not entirely Japanese, and I haven't lived in the country since before I can remember.'

'…So which city were you originally from?' Agent "Okada" asks.

'Tokyo. You?'

'Sapporo.'

'Oh, I've been there once. A few years back my mum, sister and I did a big long road trip from the southernmost point in Okinawa to the northernmost point in Hokkaido. It was pretty fun.'

'Can we please just focus on Kira right now? I mean, you all seem to be forgetting that Chris here is a suspect, and a major one at that.'

'Well, Luci, then I'll prove my innocence by helping you catch Kira!'

Nigel objects. 'Kid, you're only 16. At your age you should focus on studying right now. You'll have plenty of time for catching criminals later, when you're in ANPA or a similar organization.'

'What're you talking about? That's still years away. And if there's any chance that my input can help move the investigation forward, then I'll help out. And why would you care about what I do?'

'Because… I have a kid who's around your age, and, well, I've noticed that the two of you act and think rather similarly. I dunno, maybe it's just my imagination.' Could he mean… yes, he could only be referring to Tom, or perhaps his sister who I know almost nothing about.

Luci changes the topic. 'Chris, what kind of person do you think Kira is? What's your image of him?'

'My image of Kira, well, I think Kira isn't just one person. I mean, I think that Kira is a group of perhaps three to six people, all working together while masquerading as a single entity. Just think about everything Kira's done so far, I highly doubt a single person could've done that, at least not at the age I think Kira is.'

'And what would that be?'

'To be honest, I understand why you'd be suspicious of me because even I imagine Kira to be someone around my age. If, as assumed, he can kill anyone with the click of a button just by knowing their name and face, if a human had that kind of power, using it to get rid of criminals whilst trying to play with the geopolitical chessboard is something only someone around my age would do. A small child would either be too scared to use the power, or they'd use it to kill people they knew, people they didn't like. Additionally, a small child would be incapable of assembling and leading the highly skilled team that I suspect Kira of having. If it were an old man, we'd be able to figure it out for similar reasons. Kira still has some purity in him. He's an affluent child with strong leadership qualities. I'd say he's probably a high schooler with his own phone, laptop and TV.'

'So, according to your profile, Chris, the most suspicious of our present targets would be, well, yourself.'

'Indeed, and that's why I really want to help you people however I can, to prove that I'm not Kira.'

I'm actually quite impressed at my explanation. Sure, I have Rugo by my side and Tom helped out a little in the beginning, but I've mostly been doing all this on my own. If I trick Luci into believing Kira to be a group of people as I've said, that puts me in the clear, or at least clearer than the position I'm in now.

'Atarashimono, Luci, Okada... Kira is evil, but lately I've been starting to think of it more like this: the real evil is the power to kill people. Someone who finds himself with that power is cursed. No matter how you use it, anything obtained by killing people can never bring true happiness.'

So the chief thinks Kira's doing it for his own happiness? He must really be clutching at straws if _that_ 's his best explanation for believing in an "evil" Kira.

'You're absolutely right, Blackheart. If Kira is an ordinary human who somehow gained this power, he is a very unfortunate person,' Luci agrees. Of course, even a moron would see that that statement has more holes in it than this plot, so I doubt that's what he actually thinks.

'Luci, I'm sorry about all this, but I'll be back at work as soon as I can.'

'No, Okada, you need to rest until you're fully recovered.'

'No. I'm not sitting here twiddling my thumbs with Kira on the loose. I'm going to get him if it's the last thing I do.'

Before anyone can reply, a knock on the door alerts us of the entrance of one of the nurses, and after she tells us that visiting hours have ended, the five of us leave Okada and exit the building in silence. As the chief speeds off and the rest of us go deeper into the parking lot, Luci turns to me.

'You know, Chris, I kinda like you. But if you're Kira, I still gotta kill you. It's my job.'

'…What can I do to clear your suspicions? Isn't there some way to make you trust me?'

'If you aren't Kira, you don't have to do anything at all, do you?'

'Stop yanking me around, Luci. Think about what it feels like to be suspected of being Kira.'

'…That would feel terrifying. But don't worry, if you're innocent, it will become apparent eventually. Just have a little patience and things'll turn out okay. Plus, watching you talking with Okada, I really thought you might not be Kira.'

As Luci steps into his black fancy-as-fuck car, I suddenly realize something.

'Oh, one more thing, can I get a ride home?'

Without a word he simply rolls up his window and the car accelerates into the distance, leaving Rugo and I out here. Alone. In the dark. Well it isn't that dark because of the light pollution, and once I have my bearings I can just get Rugo to fly me home. Still…

'Luci, he's the L I've been fighting all this time. By the way, forget what Luci and the chief said back there, I've never once considered finding that notebook and gaining this power a misfortune. In fact, it's the best thing that's ever happened to me, and it's made me more hopeful than ever. With it I'm going to become the guardian of the new world, and the fact that I've lasted this long despite being targeted by the whole world is proof that I'm at least somewhat capable.'

'Still, from personal experience I can say that humans with a Death Note suffer much misfortune.'

'You know, one day you will have to tell me your backstory. You can't hide it forever.'

'One day, when the time is right, I'll tell you everything. Maybe.'


	25. Threat

**Alright, so here we are again. I know that it's been a long time and I can already predict that Al-**

 ** _Finally, a new chapter. When was Chapter 23 published? Like, the Neolithic era?_**

 **-Yup, exactly. But hey, if you want to start pointing fingers I have a whole list of other people that should be blamed for these delays. So since Alexis is still apparently my only fan who comments on this stuff, let's see what he said this time.**

 ** _"And I'm not going to lie, the time between updates will probably be consistently less than during the holidays,"_**

 ** _You mean MORE._**

 **Did I say less? I meant more.**

 ** _Now, I only have a problem with that one word I put between the asterisks. You're using the wrong word. We actually have a word for this: F***ing._**

 ** _The story is f***ing with reality. Now, you may really think "This guy needs to calm down and grab a Snickers"-_**

 **No, I actually like this attitude of yours. It's a lot more readable than being all formal and polite.**

 ** _-but this is essentially plot armor. And I'll tell you, I think the story will be spoilt if you insert plot armor in the appropriate places instead of getting actual solutions for the problem._**

 **A friendly reminder that before I even published the first chapter of this I was trained by** ** _Mizuki fucking Kurozuki, aka MizuLawliet_** **. And if you're worried about this being "plot armor", then you have no idea what kind of plot anti-armor artillery shells I'm warming up for the coming chapters and beyond.**

 ** _"…Upstairs, in a secret compartment on the underside of my desk.'"_**

 ** _That's vaguely the same method Light Yagami used in Death Note. Since you set your story in an alternate universe where Death Note is an anime/manga series, the first thing any iDiot would do when suspecting a person of being Kira is check every desk in their home for the Death Note._**

 **It should be noted that this position is very temporary, and right now she doesn't need to give it an elaborate hiding place since nobody has any idea that she has a Death Note.**

 ** _You mentioned earlier that Chris put a mini nuke under the house which can be detonated remotely._**

 **Oh, yeah, before you ask, the concept of mini-nukes is going to pop up later, and don't worry, this is one of the few things that's 100% scientifically and engineering-ly plausible.**

 ** _That is honestly not a very good idea. Why would you blow up the entire house if you suspect the book has been caught?_**

 **Chris' thinking is that the detonation would kill whoever was suspecting him, which logically makes no sense since the rest of the Task Force would survive, and know which household was Kira's. Yeah, Chris was pretty dumb with this idea.**

 ** _I REALLY hope this Lauren of yours doesn't turn out to be a bootleg Misa Amane, like Okada (a blatant ripoff of Matsuda) and Pearl (a slight ripoff of Naomi Misora)._**

 **Worry not, for Lauren's Misaness that was one of the things Mizu-sensei and I worked on, and something I have been continuing on ever since. To summarise, the more Lauren learns about Chris, the less excited she is about him and the less superior she thinks of him, to the point where she considers the two of them to be more or less equal. But yeah, I probably should have made her thoughts clearer in that chapter.**

 ** _"I'm actually quite impressed at my explanation."_**

 ** _Wait, what? Being impressed by oneself is a real thing?_**

 **Apparently yes, especially when you aren't even consciously thinking about what you're saying.**

 ** _Okay, I did sound rude, I'm sorry. But the thing is, this is such a great story, and I don't want to see it spoiled. You tend to think ahead on almost everything, but it's the small stuff that matters sometimes._**

 ** _See you next chapter._**

 **If a sufficient response requires you to "sound rude" there's nothing to apologize for. And now, without further ado…**

 **(Dimina's POV)**

It's been easy for this girl to get used to my presence, which isn't too surprising. But what is surprising is how long she's taking with all this. Granted, the fact she's spacing the first two steps of her plan a while apart makes sense since she wouldn't want her brother to get suspicious if she were to give him three specific demands at once, but I think she's overthinking it. But hey, at least the wait is finally over, and in a few minutes the real action can begin. Hopefully.

'What a day! Nothing happened and I was tired', I overdramatically comment to get her attention. 'Before you go in there, I should mention something regarding the Shinigami eyes.'

'Dammit, what now?'

'I probably should've told you this earlier, but right now Kira's lifespan is far less than yours.'

'Hmm… If I get the eyes, will my lifespan be less or more than his?'

'Not sayin'.'

'…You're not very helpful, Dimina.'

'I never intended to be.'

'Well, here goes nothing…'

*knock knock*

…

*KNOCK KNOCK*

…

 **[KNOCKING INTENSIFIES]**

'Dammit who is it?!'

'Tom, we're literally the only two people in this house right now.' For a moment I'm almost offended by this, but then I remember she can't let anyone I know exist.

'Wow, sis, you're up early… you never went to sleep, did you? Alright, come in.'

Lauren opens the door as I just phase through the wall next to her, and we enter Tom's room he spins his chair around to face her.

'So Tom, you remember two weeks ago when you did that thing to my computer for me?'

'Yes. I actually did the exact same modifications to the computer of one of my other customers back in October last year and I haven't been getting any complaints from him since, so it should all work for you as well.'

'Oh, don't worry, it is. But there's something else I want you to do for me.'

'Sure, what is it?'

'Do you think you can… hack into the Task Force for me? And forward to me all the information that's been gathered on the Kira case. Please?'

Well at least she's getting straight to the point, although her lack of subtlety is borderline moronic.

'What's the occasion?'

'No occasion, I just really hate not knowing what's going on.'

'That can't be the full story. Sure, I know you support Kira, but it isn't like you to come out of the blue and actually want to do something. Let me guess, you've chosen Kira as the topic for your cultural studies assignment?'

'Um, yeah.'

'In that case, if I give you Task Force information that hasn't been made public and you use it in you assignment before anyone else knows it, that could put you in a dangerous situation.'

'I don't care.'

'Alright, don't say I didn't warn you, but here's my answer. It's easy for me to get into ANPA's systems, in fact I've been regularly doing it since before Kira even showed up, but they haven't added any new data relating to the Kira Case since the fourth of December last year. And I'm unable to hack into the systems of any other organization or faction who I think might know what's going on, so I'm basically stuck. Even if I could magically get into any computer in the world, if the case's information is being held privately by an individual, it would still be hopeless. The best I can do is give you all the data I've kept prior to the fourth of December.'

I must say, if there's one human I've met here who I genuinely admire, it's this boy, Thomas Blackheart. I don't know exactly what it is about him that resonates with me, but between his computer game obsessions, his extreme capabilities with almost any form of computer technology and his compatible opinion regarding the Kiran ideology I almost feel attracted to him. But I already have Rugo, and even if I didn't, Tom's a human and I'm a Shinigami. So I'll just get that thought out of my head.

'…Are you sure? Have you tried everything?' His sister stubbornly questions.

'Yes, Lauren. I can't just grant any wish you desire. I'm a hacker, not a Genie.'

'Fine, so can I at least have the data you do have access to?'

'It's all since been deleted from ANPA's databases, but I downloaded everything beforehand. But for it to be decipherable on your computer I'll need to de-encrypt it, which might take a while.'

'Well, how long is "a while"?'

'With my current workload, a two-digit number of days. Is that soon enough?'

'Yes, it'll do... Oh, also I need a voice scrambler.'

'Okay, not sure why you'll need it but I'll put it on the to-do list, is that all?'

'Yes, that's all, bye.'

'See ya!'

Without another word we return to our room, and I jump back onto the top level of Lauren's bunkbed as she flops onto the bottom one and start to open the packet of sushi rolls I'd kept on the top of the bookshelf, before continuing our conversation.

'I doubt you'll just idly wait for the next few weeks or months, so I assume this means we'll go ahead with your broadcast plan _before_ uncovering Kira's identity?'

'Yup. It's a shame, really, if we went with my original plan we could join up with Kira without L even knowing we exist. But hey, at least this plan is a bit more fun. By the way, Dimina, after re-reading and re-watching Death Note with you, I think I've made my decision. Those Shinigami eyes you're offering…'

…

…

Wait, is she actually going to-

'-can go fuck themselves.'

'Eh?!'

'I'm sorry, but unlike Misa I value my own life. Besides, why would I need the eyes when I have you?'

'Again, Eh?!'

'You seem pretty interested in reuniting with this "Rugo", right? And Rugo's stuck with Kira just as you're stuck with me, so helping me find Kira is in _your_ best interest, too.'

'Alright, you got me there. But I won't help you unless I feel it's absolutely necessary in order for me to reach Rugo. So don't think you can just use me like a Pokémon, got it?'

'Got it. But for now let's just focus on my debut. Now, as you know, when I reveal myself to the world I want three things to become crystal clear. First, that I'm a new player in the game. Second, that I'm just as powerful as Kira. Third, that I am neither afraid of nor intend to bow down to anyone, not Kira, not L and not anyone else.'

'I still think there's no need to act so serious this early on in the game.'

'That's easy for you to say. Not only am I going in without Shinigami eyes, but unlike you lucky bastard I'm not virtually immortal.' I pop my head over the side of the bed and stare down at her before angrily correcting her.

'…Lucky? LUCKY?! Do you have any idea how many downsides Immortality has? Once, I teared my favorite dress, only to find out that it's irreplaceable since the technique for its manufacture has been lost. Another time, I woke up with the perfect comeback to an insult I heard from someone who died centuries ago. And then there's the fact I can't even eat my favorite food anymore because the main ingredient is fucking extinct! And on top of that there's all the sports, political systems and so on that I can't stop developing my opinions about despite the fact no-one even remembers them anymore. Then there's all the songs I've had stuck in my head because I can't remember how they end and I'm the only one on earth who knows them. And worse of all, there's all the excellent puns and jokes I'd been waiting forever to use which no longer work because of linguistic drift!'

'But you'd still prefer having your life over having a human one, right?'

'Oh, of course. I'm just saying that it's not all sunshine and pizza.'

'"Sunshine and pizza?"'

'Or whatever phrase you people use these days. By the Lauren, there's something that's been on my mind for a few days now. Now the whole Kira case at this point strongly resembles that of Death Note, which would make you the closest thing there is to Misa. But even after we read and watched it together, I still can't tell what your opinion of Misa was. So tell me, what do you think about her?'

'I guess… I kinda feel sorry for her.' I throw a sushi roll in my mouth as she explains. 'I mean, she tracked down Kira before anyone else, she used her Shinigami eyes to help Light, she deceived people with cuteness and playing dumb, she refused to confess anything about Kira even under torture, and she even tricked Higuchi into admitting he's the third Kira! And after all that, how does the fandom treat her? That being said, I found her unquestioned loyalty to Light and the fact she accepted the eyes so quickly to be a bit too… I'm not sure how to describe it. Look, Dimina, I ain't such a saint that I can promise to risk my life, or even half of it, for someone I don't even know. That being said, neither am I scum enough to sit quietly by while people are risking death before my eyes.'

'I guess another big difference is that Misa had friends.'

'HEY, I DO HAVE FRIENDS! …EVERY SINGLE SEASON, IN FACT!'

'Heh, well I never managed to get the real Misa upset so easily.'

'I'M NOT BEING UP- wait, what do you mean "the real Misa"?!'

 **(Chris' POV)**

You know, it's almost funny how Connor, Kallet and I are setting up our secret "L case" meetings in the abandoned warehouse that's just on the other side of the road from the spot on the sidewalk where the Death Note first fell. In any case it's a good choice for a location, and selecting this time of night was a rather wise choice too. Hearing a faint noise I clutch the small black folder closer to my chest, the folder that should bring the other two up-to-date on my findings in the L case. Rugo taps on my shoulder and as always I get my phone ringing and hold it to my ear.

'So Chris, what's your plan for North Korea now?'

'What plan? The loyalists' statement made it very clear that if even one of their high-ranking members dies of a heart attack or under any other suspicious circumstances, they'll launch all of their nuclear weapons. I must admit it's a good move, holding millions of lives hostage so I won't lay a finger on them.'

'But could they even pull that off?'

'Unfortunately yes. It's estimated that the nation had over sixty nukes when it disintegrated two months ago, and the loyalists coincidentally ended up with nearly all of them. Well, I shouldn't say "coincidentally" since the now-dead regime had probably planned for their possible downfall since I started wiping out dictatorships in Africa and the Middle East last year.'

'But surely the missiles have limitations?'

'Indeed. Not only do North Korea have just one side of a nuclear triad and not only is their missile technology decades behind that of their enemies, but it's estimated that only about a third have a range extending beyond Eastern Asia. And most of the countries I can imagine them firing nukes at already have strong anti-missile defenses. Still, I doubt said defenses could knock down so many incoming warheads at once, and even a small number of successful hits would have devastating consequences reaching far beyond the initial loss of life and damage to infrastructure. But don't worry, I'll think of a solution. I always do.'

'And I'm guessing the mainstream media will be silent about this?'

'Probably. After all, you know what's more powerful than a nuclear bomb? Information. Besides, people say evil is dark but in reality it is bright, so bright that people want to look away from it.'

'…Kid, you have no idea how true that is.'

I'm not sure what exactly what he means by that, but I'll have to ask later because we're here now, and the other two have already arrived and are sitting on two of three wooden boxes in the middle of the warehouse. I hang up and slide the phone back into my pocket, and out of curiosity I slide up against the wall on the outside next to the doorway to hear what Kallet and Connor are talking about.

'…Why is it that villains always find poison to inject their victims with? I mean, you could literally just fill the syringe with air and stick the needle somewhere they won't look. It'll look like a heart attack and the victim will die pretty quick-'

'Oh, look, Chris is here. Hey, Chris! Come in, you're late again!' Ah fuck, how the hell did he see me?

'Well you know what they say. The hero always arrives last.' I hastily respond as I step though the doorway, unsure if either of them can even see the folder I'm carrying in the cloud-obscured moonlight.

'That rule doesn't really apply here. So, can we begin?'

'I believe so.'

I sit down on the vacant crate as Connor begins, 'So do any of us have any new information regarding L?'

'Nope.'

'Yup.'

'Oh, Chris, you got something? What is it?'

'I've met two members of the Task Force who confirmed Lawliet's true identity as L.'

'YOU WHAT?!'

'Heh, looks like I've got some splainin' to do, how about I just start from the beginning. A bit over two weeks ago I invited Lawliet to that coffee shop down the road so we could talk and I could get more information out of him. Later that day I wrote down everything that happened, from the moment we sat down at the shop to the moment we exited the hospital.'

'Hospital?! Did something happen?! If he did something to you I SWEAR I'LL-'

'Calm the fuck down, Kallet. It wasn't me who was hospitalized, it was one of the Task Force members. Anyway, I think these transcripts I wrote of the day will speak for themselves.' I then pull several sheets out of the folder, together recounting the events of my encounter with the Task Force (excluding anything that would reveal my identity as Kira to these two), and sit back as they slowly read it over.

As the clouds separate and the full brightness of the half-moon illuminates the warehouse I can more clearly see the reactions on their faces as they look through the pages, which seem to be telling me one thing: Maybe I should let them know I'm Kira.

Suddenly grabbing my arm Kallet points out the window. 'Hey Chris, look. A half-moon. A bright half and a dark half… Just like me.'

Alright, scrap that idea I just had, there's no way I'm going to risk _her_ becoming even more of a problem.

 **(Lauren's POV)**

Moving my laptop out of the way and rolling a map of the local area onto my desk, I begin to explain the plan to my Shinigami.

'So, here's the situation. There's conveniently one TTT station less than a kilometer from here,' I circle it with a black marker pen before continuing, 'but since it's the same one Kira's been using, it's become almost impenetrable. First, they have a small number of snipers stationed throughout the outside of the building, with orders to shoot anyone wearing the costume or even just the helmet of Kira without a second thought. Then there's the miniature radar and camera unit which has been set up on the roof, which should be able to detect anything larger than a small child coming within 100 meters,' At this point I draw a circle with a blue marker showing said radius around the building, 'which will alert a second group of snipers with heavier weaponry. And the front of the building is protected by several armed guards. Finally, to top it all off you have the fact that the snipers, radar and so on are very well-hidden and unless you know exactly where they are you wouldn't be able to find them before your blood content becomes 20% bullet metal.'

'Okay, I have three questions. First, why are they arming the place so heavily in the first place?'

'It's the one place Kira is known to have been, and on three separate occasions at that. So the ICUP has more or less treated the area as a gigantic death trap.'

'Second, does it have any weaknesses?'

'The radar has a 180 degree field of vision, but it's completely blind to anything and everything located closer to the ground than it is, so everything at an altitude of less than about forty meters should stay undetected, but at that point visual detection from the ground is almost a certainty. Additionally, there's only one sniper on lookout at any one time, and they don't have night vision supplied to them yet.'

'Okay, now finally… HOW THE FUCK DO YOU KNOW ALL THIS?!'

'I tricked my dad into accidentally telling me a few weeks back. And what little the public's gotten from various attempts to hack into the ICUP seem to support what he's said.'

'So, putting all this together, what we need is either someone really small to deliver the envelope, or someone who can fly, ideally we'd want someone who can do both… Look, I'll do it, but I'll be expecting a big plate of something when we come back!'

'Deal. Wait, can I just ask you one more thing?'

'Go ahead.'

'About everything you told me earlier… do you think Kira knows about all of that?'

'Unlikely. When Light handed me the extra Death Note for me to drop into this world, he gave me specific instructions not to tell you or anyone else about the reality of _Death Note_.'

'So then why did you…?'

'Well, why not? I mean, on page XXXIV of the complimentary rulebook, it specifically states "The owner of the Death Note cannot be killed by a god of death who is living in the world of the gods of death", so you're perfectly safe. But I don't think Rugo's realized that yet. So there's another thing you can talk to Kira about when you meet him.'

'…Wow, what is wrong with me? I'm starting to act like a strong independent woman and shit!'

'Just remember, if you get yourself in a fight during this operation, you have to shoot first and ask questions later.'

'You know, for something that looks so small and cute you really-'

'Lauren Blackheart, if you call me "cute" again I'll remove all your organs in alphabetical order.'

'Well you could at least be a bit less bitter about it.'

'I'm not bitter!' She bitterly snaps back, with a bitter expression on her face.


	26. April

**Alright, it seems that once again I only have one review, again from AV, so let's look at what he said this time.**

 ** _You might be the only fanfiction author in the history of the universe (assuming that aliens don't exist and they didn't write any fanfiction stories...)_**

 **That's raci- wait, no, that's not the right word… (One Internetting later) It appears the three closest matches for the word I'm looking for are** ** _Xenophobic_** **,** ** _Anthropocentric_** **and** ** _Anterraphobic_** **.**

 ** _Okay, erase what I said. In the history of the earth to admit that their OC is actually dumb sometimes._**

 **After reading this claim I actually tried pretty hard to disprove it and so far I haven't successful.**

 ** _Well, this chapter hasn't got much content, so I guess there isn't much I can say about it._**

 **Yeah, same problem with this one. Sorry about that, I just [INSERT WORST EXCUSE EVER HERE].**

 ** _"Strong enough to cut through even Steel or Titanium with ease."_**

 ** _"Strong enough to cut through even Steel or Titanium with ease."_**

 ** _"Strong enough to cut through even Steel or Titanium with ease."_**

 **Fun fact: Nothing happens when you chant a line about it three times. I think.**

 ** _Next, there are many types of steel, and I would be damned if I ever made the mistake of saying that Hadfield steel, which is used in rock crushers, could be cut through by a "lightweight but strong alloy"._**

 ** _Next, I would rather jump into a pit than say that titanium, the pure form of which is the metal with the highest strength to weight ratio, could be cut with that stupid sword._**

 **It's about now that I should mention that I kind of bended the rules a bit when I wrote out that sentence in that way with those words under that context, but more on that later.**

 **Finally, shoutout to Shiranai Atsune for following and miezi10 for favouriting** ** _私は、キラ_** **** ** _/ I, Kira_** **.**

 **(Rugo's POV)**

Once I'm sure Chris is fully awake I ask, 'So, tell me again, what's the big deal about April fool's day? And more importantly, why is your school moving it to today?'

'Well, you see, at school everyone takes the ay very seriously. It basically gives us all an opportunity to let off some steam and have fun while also competing to see who can pull of the best pranks. Now since the first of April was a Saturday, we've moved it up to today this year so the school tradition can continue on. Of course, it'll probably be relatively uneventful this year.'

'How so?'

'Well,' he begins as he gets out of bed and approaches the door, 'let's see… Viper's dead, Connor, Kallet and I have our hands full with the L case, Indy and Katashi seem to be pretty busy with something these days as well, and I don't even know what Alex or Harry are doing. So all our main pranksters are either unavailable or unconfirmed to be available. That being said, I-'

 ***** **BWREEEEEPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP***

'AAAAAH!'

…

For a moment I jump back as he just stands there, before looking on the other side of his bedroom door.

'…An airhorn door stopper. How uncreative.' And just like that he leaves the room and I follow him down the stairs, where I see two half-full upside-down glasses of what looks like water on the kitchen bench, with some kind of note in front of them which says:

 _Happy AF day and have fun cleaning this up! – I.A._

Chris blankly looks down at the note, holds both glasses in his hands and flips them over without a drop spilling out.

'How amateurish of her. I was expecting something more.'

'You gonna try to get back at her?'

'No, I wouldn't want to get her angry by mistake. I've seen her punch through over thirty centimeters of solid air. In any case, we should hurry up so we're outta here before _mum_ starts pulling her pranks.'

 **(Chris' POV)**

Just before we enter the school, I find a hidden place behind a large tree where no-one will see us and I show Rugo what's in my bag.

'You see these? These are febreeze grenades. Just pull the zip tie, toss it and RUN. Here, you hold onto them.'

'Where the hell do you kids even come up with these ideas?'

'Well, let me put it to you this way: The most realistic part of _Age of Ultron_ was Ultron deciding the human race must be destroyed after spending a few minutes on the internet. Anyway, I'll put you in charge of that, I'm late enough as is.'

I hurriedly rush to class and arrive just on time, and as we all take our seats Mr Iesnes begins.

'So, as you all know, your WWII children's story crossover speeches are today. We'll do this alphabetically, starting with Atarashimono whose story is titled "the very hungry Hitler". Atarashimono, would you like to read us your story please?'

As ordered I get up to the front of the class and do as he says. I remember back when I always got really nervous about public speaking, but now it just kinda comes naturally to me. Whether it's reading a shitty story out to a class of less than twenty other people, all of whom I know, or recording a message to be broadcast to the entire world through TTT behind the safety of my Kira mask, I simply say what I need to say, and with confidence at that. In fact, by now I'm so fluent with it that I can even have secondary trains of thought at the same time as I'm speaking, like this internal monologue I'm having right now. Anyway, back to my speech…

'…So Hitler took Poland, but he was still hungry…'

*CLICK*

Wait, what was-

 ***PFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF!***

'Ah fuck!'

Without looking I jump under one of the tables where half the class has already made it to safety, and a quick look around reassures me that everyone else managed to escape the febreeze grenade, with the exception of Mr Iesnes, who is now covered in the stuff, and from the look on his face I think it's safe to say I won't be letting Rugo in charge of these things from now on.

'Alright, who the fuck did that?! …No-one's gonna confess, huh? Well then I guess I'll just have to keep you all in here at lunchtime until one of you owns up to it!'

'Actually, teacher, it's illegal to keep the class in after the bell as punishment. It violates the Geneva Convention's laws on collective punishment.'

Wait, was that… is Luci, L, my greatest adversary helping me here? Damn, I thought I'd be able to at least predict when he'd do something like that. Well, there's only one thing I _can_ still say for sure about him based on countless hours of observations: He's as straight as a rainbow.

Later, at the start of lunchtime I head down to the bathrooms to set up my next prank. It's a harmless and unexciting one, but it's better than nothing. Once I make sure the room is almost empty I take a large round sticker and attach it to the front of the hand blow-dryer.

'Oh, hey Chris. Whatcha doin'?'

'See for yourself, Connor.' Once I make sure the sticker is on I step back for him to observe.

 _VOICE ACTIVATED_

 _JUST SAY "PAPER TOWEL, PLEASE!"_

'Heh, that's a good one. Hey, once you're done can you proofread my physics essay for me?'

'Umm, sure.'

Once we're back at our lunchtables, Connor flips open his Mac and opens up the aforementioned essay, and I quickly skim over the introduction paragraph.

 _It's a well-known fact that you must spin a USB three times before it will fit. From this we can gather that a USB has three states: An Up position, a Down position and a superposition. Until the USB is observed it will stay in the superposition. Therefore, it will not fit until observed, except for certain cases of USB tunnelling._

'Fucking genius… Umm, Connor, I think Luci's heading this way. Let's move.' With that we resume our routine of aimlessly walking around.

 **(Connor's POV)**

'So a cruise ship full of British, French, German and Italian tourists is sinking and the captain radios for help, and is told that the passengers can be more easily rescued if they're in the water away from the ship. So he sends his first officer to tell all the passengers to jump into the water, but five minutes later the officer returns saying they won't listen to him. "Fine, I'll do it myself!" The captain responds, and he returns five minutes later with a satisfactory look on his face.

"How'd you get them to jump?" The first officer asks.

"Well," The captain responds, "I told the British it was traditional, I told the French it was fashionable, I told the Germans it was an order and I told the Italians it was forbidden!"'

'Ha! Hey, here's one I came up with the other day: What rock group has four men that don't sing?'

'Umm… the- wait, no… ah fuck it, I give up. What is it?' Chris asks.

'Mount Rushmore.'

'Heh, that's a good one.'

'Yours was better.'

'Yeah, but I feel like I use my high IQ for the wrong things these days.'

'Oh, hush! You're perfectly fine the way you are!'

'That's easy for you to say. So, are you planning any more pranks today?'

'Well, later I'm going to freeze Mentos in ice cubes to make serve time bomb sodas. What about you?'

'So far here's my plan. I've managed to collect a few recordings of the principal saying stuff over the PA system, so if we just rearrange the words we can really… "Ease the boredom".'

'Are you _absolutely sure_ about that?'

'Hey, I'm not closing myself off to the possibility of making a bad life choice. Why are you so judgmental of me today?'

'I'm not judging you, I'm judging our friendship. In any case, do you even have time to "rearrange" the words as you've said? I mean, math class starts in less than ten minutes.'

'Don't worry, I'm actually pretty skilled at this. Remember that old YTP channel I had on YouTube? And, you know, I was actually really good at math before it had its love-child with the alphabet. But luckily my class is one of those where everyone shares their answers without the teacher knowing. They may call it cheating, but we call it teamwork.'

'Lucky bastard.' I finish as we split off and go to our classrooms. I must say, there's a lot about that kid that I still don't understand. How can he be so calm and cheerful despite everything that's happening? Between the L case, the formation of the US SSBN nuclear deterrent in the sea of Japan and the growing strength of the global mafia… well, there's no time to dwell on that now. As I take my set I take my math book, pencil case and Mac out of my bag and get ready for another fourty minutes of-

' _Attention all students! This is your principal speaking. Due to sudden unexpected budget cuts we have decided to limit the school's internet connection to certain parts of the school, such as the teacher's lounge and staff offices, and-_ '

I can't hear the rest of the message over the uproar resonating across the classroom, and from the sounds of it the rest of the school as well. This may be April Fool's day, but no-one seems to be taking chances, especially since it would be perfectly plausible for the staff to have completely forgotten about it due to the rescheduling. As the chaos intensifies and more students escape the classroom to protest, I notice that the teacher isn't here. He's usually late to class, so it isn't surprising. With that in mind I slip out of the room and find Chris in the growing crowds.

'So, I thought you'd say something more, y'know… extreme.'

'Connor, I may seem like an asshole, but deep down I'm a good person.'

'I know, but even deeper down you're an even bigger asshole.'

'Look, I didn't have time to come up with something better, okay?'

'Yeah, sure. I suppose it's sorta good that you didn't go too far with it, since we're already under suspicion of being involved with Kira and last time I checked none of us want to be on even worse terms with the Morons In Black. So, what'ya wanna do after school?'

'Not sure… Hey, how about we hack some of the electronic road signs!'

'You can do that?'

'Well it can't be much harder than getting into an ATM or a vending machine.'

'What if we get caught?'

'Don't worry, I always carry some kind of weapon on me in case I need to escalate the situation.'

'Well it certainly doesn't look like you can fit a katana or an assault rifle in there, so what is it?'

'Just a small Tanto. Speaking of which, what happened to the good old days, when swords were a normal part of social situations?'

'…'

After school we meet up again and locate an electronic roadworks sign near the abandoned warehouse where we have our L case meetings. It seems unguarded, but we hide in the bushes next to it for now, just in case.

'Hey Connor, how about I teach you how to do it yourself? You never know when it can come in handy.'

'Sure, sounds fun.' I'm not sure if he was just cautious about getting caught, but either way it makes little difference. I crawl my way out of the bushes.

'Alright, so according to the wonderful world of the internet, here's what you do. First you find the access panel at the back of the sign.' Standing up I quickly locate it.

'…I think I found it, but it has a big warning label on it saying "DO NOT TOUCH".'

'Oh, when it says "DO NOT TOUCH", what it really means is "Touch when no one is looking". Now it should be protected by a small lock, right?'

'Yup. Don't worry, I know how to break it open.'

*CLUNK*

'Good. Now once you've opened the access panel you should see the display electronics. The bit you're looking for is the black control pad, the one with a small keyboard on it that's attached by a curly cord.'

'…Got it, but it's asking for a password.'

'Try "DOTS". That's the default password.'

'…That didn't work.'

'Are you sure? Let me see.' He then leaves the bushes, snatches the pad off me and re-types the exact same thing I just did. 'Well then they must've changed the password, in which case, and I'll do it this time to speed things along, you just hold "control" and "shift" and, while holding, enter "DIPY". There, now if I'm not mistaken that should reset the sign and the password too.' Re-typing DOTS he hands the pad back and concludes, 'Okay, we're in. Here, I'll let you do the rest. Programming it should be as simple as scrolling down to the menu section and selecting "instant text". Type whatever you want it to display and hit enter to submit.'

'…Okay, done. Now what?'

'What'd you say?'

'Not tellin'.'

'Alright then… so you can either throw it up on the sign by electing "run w/out save" or you can add more pages to it by selecting "add page".'

'Well I can't come up with any more good ideas so I'll just throw- Wait, Chris, why are you teaching me all this?'

'What do you mean?'

'Well, it's just… what do you get out of telling me how to do these things?'

'Broadly speaking, there are two reasons a person feels the desire to teach something: Either they want to pass on their successes or they want to pass on their failures. Good luck figuring out which applies here.' Well that didn't answer much.

'Heh, well here goes nothing…'

*BEEP*

'Hey Connor, I've also got one more prank I set up last night that I want you to see.'

'Alright, lead the way.'

A minute later we arrive at the local open-air marketplace, and I immediately see what my friend has done here.

'So what I did after midnight was add one of these big "ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT" signs to every single store's sign.'

Looking around, I can almost admire his handiwork.

 _ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT_

 _DISCOUNT TIRES_

 _ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT_

 _HAIR SALON_

 _ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT_

 _LUMBER AND FLOORING DEPOT_

 _ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT_

 _PET STORE_

'…You really shouldn't have gone this far.'

'Well maybe if the world would stop letting me feel invincible I would probably stop doing this shit. So, I'm playing volleyball with Harry and the others later, you wanna join?'

'Yeah, sure. You know, technically volleyball is just a more intense version of "don't let the balloon touch the floor".'

'What? No, of course not. Connor, nothing's more intense than "don't let the balloon touch the floor". Except maybe bungee jumping.'

'Yeah, but I've never really wanted to do that. I came into this world because of a broken piece of rubber, but I don't want to leave it because of one.'

 **(Duncan's POV)**

'What the hell's with this lame-brained idea?! How could you use up all that time and achieve nothing?! You guys think all we have to do is run a Kira special and people will tune in, is that it?! Do you have any idea how high expectations of us have been since Kira's three broadcasts last year?! The point is, we need a story. We need something new, exciting and deadly! Find me a new angle on this thing!'

'But there aren't any new angles. The cops aren't saying a word and none of us are smart enough to conduct an actual investigation on our own!'

'Well did you ask our Intel?'

'We've tried, but it's not really helping at all!'

'IDIOT! What do you take me for?! Some kinda fat guy with a moustache? If you can't find any good stories out there, then bloody well make something up, dammit! I never hired any of you morons to just sit around all day and give up!'

'But we've already gotten a bunch of warnings from the communication ministry. It's becoming a serious problem.'

'Well where people like you see problems, I see opportunities to create even worse problems! Besides, they're already making us run all kinds of stories, and nobody can tell if they're true or not. So I'm not letting anyone "restrict" us without giving anything in return! Listen to me, in our next Kira special, we're saying we surveyed twenty thousand people, and over 50 percent of them said they support Kira. So you guys make some convincing graphs and catchy quotes from the public. I mean, sheesh, we gotta grab people's attention here, all right?'

*knock knock*

'Who the hell is it?'

' _You've got mail!_ ' One of my subordinates enters the room, slides an envelope over to my side of the conference table and I hold it up to see… and it appears my wish has been granted.

'The sender didn't write their name or address, almost like… holy shit. Guys, this looks like another message from Kira!'

'Finally! What does it say?'

I excitedly open the envelope and, sure enough, there's a handwritten message alongside a USB inside, just like the last three times. But something else catches my eye.

'…This handwriting is different from the last three broadcasts…'

 _To director Duncan Bills of Tomorrow's Today Tonight_

 _You may refer to me however you want. I am not Kira, but I possess his ability and I am just as powerful as him, possibly even more. The proof of this is on the USB in the video titled "video 1". When you've watched and are satisfied that I have this power, please broadcast videos 2 through 4 on your network, in accordance with the dates and times given below. By performing killings that were announced in advance on national TV, I will prove to the public that I am a new Kira, at the same time, a message from me will be sent out to the entire world. If you do not broadcast these videos as instructed, I will wipe out your company's board of directors, one by one, starting with you._

'…What is it, sir?'

'This is most… unexpected. If these are real, this is going to be insane… Woah, man, I'm so excited I think _I'm_ having a heart attack!'


	27. TTT

**Well, at this point I'm not even sure if I have to specify where my one review came from, so let's just see what he said.**

 ** _Oh, there you guys actually acknowledge the existence of April Fools' Day? Sounds convenient. Here, let's just say that orthodiethylbenzenedianion is a cool word._**

 **I'm pretty sure it's a global (at least global in terms of the entire westernized world) event, kinda like Christmas or opposite day.**

 ** _I'm sure most of the components of air can be solidified, and punching through thirty centimeters of solid air would be a feat worthy of Saitama._**

 **Yeah, small mistake I made when I slightly reworded it from some of the dialogue I heard in a YTP of** ** _The Matrix_** **.**

 ** _I can already see [Chris' story "the very hungry Hitler"] being made into a Der Untergang parody._**

 **Yeah, someone should make that.**

 _ **An easy work around to this is marking the upper side of the plastic grip part of the USB with hot glue or something so that you get it right on the first time, but if it isn't possible, yeah.**_

 _ **From Schrödinger's cat to Connor's USB, quantum mechanics never changes.**_

 **How the fuck did you think of that?! How the fuck didn't I think of that?!**

 ** _Anyways, thanks for updating quicker than I thought you would-_**

 **That's the second time I'd say you've spoken a bit too soon. lol.**

 _ **-and this was certainly a fun little chapter.**_

 _ **It would be better if every chapter ended with "As always, thanks for reading.", though.**_

 **Nah, I prefer doing it this way because it makes cliffhangers feel more cliffhanger-ey.**

 **Also, small shout-out to Saira-Blue for favoriting** ** _私は、キラ_** **** ** _/ I, Kira_** **. One last thing, AV has started his own DN FanFiction,** ** _Quickstart_** **, which is very loosely inspired by this. He mentioned** ** _I, Kira_** **in it so I figured I might as well return the favor, and it actually does look to become a rather exciting story, which is a pretty rare thing outside of pro-L propaganda.**

 **Alright, without any further rambling, let's continue.**

 **(Luci's POV)**

'All right, that should just about sum it up.'

'Sum up what, mate? We just sat around and shuffled papers while you watched!'

'A very productive day indeed.' I hear the door opening behind me, which must mean Q's back with another plate of… wait, then why do his footsteps sound so swift and hurried?

'Luci!'

'What is it?'

' _Tomorrow's Today Tonight_ , quick… It's about Kira, you have to see this!' He exclaims with a worried look on his face and a hint of desperation in his tone as he grabs the remote.

*BEEP*

As usual the three main hosts of TTT are present, the man in the middle doing the talking.

' _Just one chapter ago our program director received four videos from someone claiming to be a "new" Kira, with instructions to broadcast a live message through our network. If we do not do so, they will kill our entire board of directors._ '

 **(Chris' POV)**

A new Kira?! What's going on here?!

' _On April 3,_ ' the reporter continues, ' _an envelope closely resembling one of Kira's arrived at this station. It was clearly sent by someone with Kira's powers, however it appears to be someone other than the individual himself. The first video announced the time and date for two criminals who were arrested the other day. Exactly as predicted, these two men died the day after the videos were received, at 2PM of heart attacks. Who besides someone with Kira's powers is capable of performing such a demonstration? From this fact, among others, we've concluded that the sender of these videos does in fact have this power._ '

If this is really true, they're right. Nobody without a Death Note could do that…

' _The envelope we received had instructions telling us to air this, the second video, at exactly 5:59PM today. We have not viewed this video ourselves, but the instructions state that it foretells yet another death, and contains a message directed at Kira, L, and people all over the world. The time is now 5:59PM. You are now going to see the video._ '

The image on the screen changes to the word "KIRA" in a familiar white font over a black background, just like the style I use, or an inverse of the style L uses.

There are several seconds of pure and total silence, before a heavily distorted yet very clear voice announces:

' _Attention, people of the world! I am a new Kira._ '

By now I can tell that the "video" is just a computer-generated image with an added filter-masked voice overlay. In other words, no actual cameras were used to record it. Clever thinking.

' _If this video is being aired when I specified, then the time now is 5:59PM, and the sun is down for no particular reason even though it was up just a few seconds ago in the previous scene. Please change the channel to TTT's secondary one, where a news anchor there will die of a heart attack at precisely 6PM._ ' Before I can react Rugo changes the channel for me, and, sure enough, the reporter collapses in his chair, and his head flops limply to the side. But, wait a minute…

'So this person is trying to point out that I'm not evil, by killing someone live on TV? That's like… It's like the time NASA spent $3.2 million to determine that they don't have enough money! Rugo, change the channel back!'

*BEEP*

' _But one demonstration alone does not serve as absolute proof, so I will present you with another…_ ' I don't need to see someone else die to know that this is the real deal. I turn the volume down a bit and turn to Rugo, but my thoughts are interrupted as I see an expression of shock in his face, which wasn't there half a minute ago.

'Umm, Rugo? You okay?'

'D…DIMINA! Look Chris, I know you can't see what I'm seeing so can you, like…' he snatches a blank sheet of paper form my desk along with a pencil before continuing, 'I'll draw what I'm seeing.'

A minute later a peek over his shoulder and see what he's drawn so far, and it looks like the video isn't just an image after all, but (presumably green-screened) in front of it is a very human-like Shinigami, with the appearance of a young girl with white wings and red hair. More importantly, she's holding open what must be a Death Note in front of the camera, with the following written in it:

 _Rugo,_

 _In this message I will reveal as little as possible relating to the second Kira's identity, so if L and his gang ever gain the ability to see me she won't be exposed if they look back at this video. In any case, the only way I can deliver this message with no-one else seeing is by writing it in my Death Note, so if I did name her here she'd die anyway._

 _I remember my sister once said that I'm that kind of person who between two choices always picks the wrong one, and I'm sure she would've done everything in her power to keep me in the relative safety of the Shinigami realm. But regardless of what happens here, I think I'd have to disagree with her this time. If we only focus on making the best moves, we will never get the better of our opponent. When necessary, we must be willing to take big risks, and be prepared to lose everything. Unless we change how we fight, we cannot win, and while our opponent has taken a very different form this time, that basic concept still applies._

 _Now, I'm not going to lie, there's a good chance that a few people are going to die this evening. While my human and I will do our best to minimize collateral damage… if you think it's natural for people to sacrifice their own lives to save others, surely you can understand that, sometimes, a single death or two can save many lives. Of course, you already know that. Speaking of which, and this'll probably be one of the last times I say this, you shouldn't feel bad about what happened last time. You fought to protect your world, we both did, and in the end we won. Isn't that good enough?_

 _Now, about this "Second Kira". Despite my best efforts she still refuses to take the offer for the Shinigami eyes, however she's still highly enthusiastic about being on "Team Kira". I believe she and Kira will get along well, provided that they don't kill each other…_

 **(Luci's POV)**

Changing the channel again, I see another news anchor being lifelessly held by a co-worker.

'…They said Kira, or whoever this is, would be sending a message to people all over the world. We have to make them stop this broadcast or something terrible is going to happen!' At that order the others all grab their phones and attempt to contact the network, as I continue to watch the broadcast.

The distorted voice continues, ' _I trust you now know that I really am just as powerful as Kira_ '. Well they're certainly correct there.

'It's hopeless,' I hear Aivenawa groan in annoyance, 'every single number I've tried in the entire station's busy…'

'My friend who works there has his phone turned off!' Chief Blackheart adds.

'And I forgot how to call 911!'

'Shut up Okada! …Dammit! Clovis, Red, Maes, Marco, you four need to go over there to make them stop, like you did with Kira's first broadcast!' One of the four obediently slams open the door and they all rush out of the room and down the hallway, and less than half a minute later I hear one of the police cars leaving the hotel.

' _Please, listen to me carefully, and don't misinterpret what I say._ ' My attention snaps back to the TV. _'_ _As I speak, this world is rotten! Evil is festering and none among us will take a stand against it! That is, except for Kira and myself. I do not want to kill innocent people. Like Kira I hate evil and love justice, and like him I do not consider the police as my enemies, but rather as potential future allies in my fight against evil._ '

Even the voice is disguised. Damn you, whoever you are…

' _We must join forces, Kira, and eliminate the darkness from this world. But please understand, I will not merely be used as a pawn in your game. Either you will see me as an equal, or I suppose you'll just have to kill me to keep my mouth shut. And to everyone else I must make it clear that if no-one tries to capture me, no innocent people will die. And even if you do not agree with Kira or I, if you refrain from publicizing your views in the media or in public, you will be spared._ '

My listening is interrupted as Q comes back in holding an extra TV set, and Pearl, Aivenawa, Moorga and Chief Blackheart set it up as fast as possible, setting it to a live news broadcast reporting from in front of the station.

' _…_ _And then, simply wait. In a short time, the world will be changed for the better. I'm sure you will all agree. We can do it. We can change the world and make it a place inhabited only by good, kind-hearted people._ '

'Hey… where did Mungalo go?'

'SHUT UP OKADA!'

 **(Dimina's POV)**

' _This is Lauren to Dimina, can you hear me?_ ' _*CHZZT*_

'Loud and clear, Lauren.' _*CHZZT*_

' _Dimina, I've got visual on a police vehicle approaching the TTT station, from the north._ ' _*CHZZT*_

'…I see it. Any ideas?' _*CHZZT*_

' _We obviously can't let them disrupt the broadcast, so…_ '

'But you don't know their names and you don't have the eyes.' _*CHZZT*_

' _But you do._ ' _*CHZZT*_

'Are you suggesting I do it for you?' _*CHZZT*_

' _Well, as a certain ancient military strategist once wrote: Appear weak when you are strong, and strong when you are weak._ ' _*CHZZT*_

'Oh, right, because that way L and the Task Force are going to think you have the eyes when you really don't, and since Rugo can see me… wait, I just have one question.' _*CHZZT*_

' _Go ahead._ ' _*CHZZT*_

'I probably should've asked this earlier but WHY ARE WE USING WALKIE-TALKIES WHEN WE'RE IN THE SAME FUCKING ROOM?!'

Turning to me she replies, 'You know, that's actually a good question. Come to think of it, even if we were in adjacent rooms we could just communicate verbally since this entire office building is empty.'

'Well, there's no time to dwell on that now, the police car is in range and if I had to guess I'd say we have about twenty to fourty seconds before they pull up at the doors of the station. So, I'll just go down there and wait for you to give the word, right?'

'Yes…'

At that I crawl out the window, push myself off the outer wall and fall down into a slow glide. It feels a little unusual to take orders from a human, but if it gets me to Rugo I'm fine with it, and in any case it's the least I can do for Lauren. She hates having nobody to talk about this with, and it seems to sit forever on her tongue and in the forefront of her mind. I suppose having me around makes things easier for her. But in the privacy of her own room she raves and giggles over her own plans, while I listen and occasionally help out where I can.

I land on the police vehicle and peek my head through the roof, memorizing their names before they come to a stop in front of the station's glass doors and jump out. After seeing that it's locked they begin pounding on the door in an attempt to get the guard's attention.

'This is the police! Open up!'

'Let us in, douchebags!'

It seems the glass door is soundproof as well. Either that or he's deliberately ignoring them, which wouldn't surprise me.

'Oh, okay, so that's how you wanna be?' One of the officers draws his gun and-

 **'** **DIMINA! I CHOOSE YOU!'**

 **DIMINA used Death Note!**

 **It's super effective!**

 **MARCO, MAES, RED AND CLOVIS fainted! (and died)**

Well, that was anticlimactic. As the four fall to the ground and collapse I can faintly hear the last words of one of them…

'I… barely had… any… lines…'

 **(Luci's POV)**

' _Just imagine it, a world protected by the police, Kira and myself… a world with no place for evil-_ '

I turn down the volume to focus on the second TV's live broadcast. Those four I sent over should've reached the building by now, meanwhile Q has gone back to typing, Pearl is watching everything next to me and the others are fervently trying to get through to TTT.

' _We urge all our viewers to please stay calm regarding the broadcast currently being aired on Tomorrow's Today Tonight. Details will be reported as soon as they are available… we're now broadcasting live in front of the station… This just in! Four people are reported to have collapsed in front of the building! We are reporting live from mere meters away. For safety reasons I cannot stand in front of the camera, but what you are seeing here is live coverage!_ '

I hear a few gasps from across the room, everyone now either staring carefully at the four bodies shown on the floor in front of the building, or trying to look away.

'…MARCO! MAES! CLOVIS! RED! Oh my god…'

'There's no time for us to distract ourselves, Chief! Whoever did this, they must be in or near the TTT building. Now, it was mentioned at the beginning that they received the videos and instructions on April 3, which was over a month ago. That certainly gives a lot of preparation time for-'

' _Paramedics have just arrived on the scene. We urge our viewers to stay away from the headquarters of Tomorrow's Today Tonight. It is dangerous to approach the area. It is eerily quiet now…_ '

'So how do we get into that building without-'

'Shut up Okada! So how do we get into that building without being seen?'

…

…

' _Are the police ready to work with us in creating a just world?_ ' The new Kira continues, and I turn to the screen again. ' _Their answer to this question will be answered tomorrow at the top of the six o'clock nightly news. Starting at 6:10PM on that day, Tomorrow's Today Tonight will air one of two videos – one if the police say "yes" to my proposal, and the other if they say "no". If it is an official police announcement, no spokesperson has to appear on the screen._ '

My attention is caught again by the TV set to the left, where some kind of vehicle drives straight over the four bodies and two of the paramedics and plows through the doors into the building, an event which is quickly narrated by the off-screen reporter.

'What… the hell?!' The Chief comments.

'Well that's certainly one way to do it without anyone seeing your face. But if this "Kira" got the other four, there's a good chance that he or she is inside. If their location is anywhere in the lobby, this could be really risky.'

 **(Mungalo's POV)**

As a great man once said, if you want to do something right you have to run over six people to do it.

Stepping out of the old police car I see a guard standing there with a dazed look on his face as he pulls out… a knife? Well I guess TTT has never had the need to consider armed guards before, so they must be improvising.

'Hey what the fuck man you can't just drive in here. Seriously, this is a no-parking zone!' He rants as I approach him, before he threateningly points the knife out at me. 'I am authorized by the new Kira to use force if necessary in order to prevent-'

'What, with that? Heh, that's not a knife…' I respond, reaching into my back pocket, 'THIS is a knife!'

'Holy shit, where did you-'

'Where's the studio airing the Kira video?'

'Uh, the seventh floor, studio G-6. The lift is broken so you'll have to use the stairs.'

(One minute later)

*KNOCK KNOCK*

'Who's there?!'

Bursting through the door I enter the dimly-lit room, 'This is the police! Stop this broadcast!'

A rather short and heavy-set man with black hair, glasses, a customized jacket and all the aura of a rabies-filled wombat turns around. 'Who are you?'

'I just told you! This is the police! Now stop this broadcast immediately!'

'Just wait a minute, officer. If we stop this video now, we'll all be killed.'

'I don't want to hear your excuses! Four of my co-workers are dead!'

'Director Bills, the video just finished…' I hear from one of his subordinates at one of the screens, which certainly explains one thing.

'…So it's you, is it? You're the Duncan Bills who's been playing up the Kira case for all it's worth. Putting out all those "specials" in spite of all the warnings we issued? You think the whole thing's very funny, do ya?!'

'I… I had no idea it would turn into something like this, I swear. Go easy on me, sir.'

'That director they said this Kira addressed the package to, that was you too, wasn't it?'

'Yes. It was.'

'Give me those tapes, the whole package, exactly as you received it!'

'Even if I wanted to, we were instructed to incinerate the whole thing once we had made copies of it!'

'THEN GIVE ME ALL THE FUCKING COPIES!'

'But like I said earlier, if I do that, we'll all be killed.'

'This is the direct result of you putting out all those shows and treating Kira like some kind of star. I'd say you're reaping what you sowed. If, after watching the tapes, the Task Force decide its okay to air them, they'll be returned to you.'

'…All right, all right. I'll get them, just do me a favor and stop waving that massive knife around!'

 **(Luci's POV)**

' _The police have made no statement regarding this incident as of yet… what's this? A police car has finally arrived on the scene. It's just a single patrol vehicle, though._ '

'We aren't alone in this,' the Chief concludes, 'there are other cops who are ready to stand up and fight Kira…'

'Yes, so it seems. When you think about it, the Task Force are just one small section of the Australian police. And it's even smaller now that we have only eight people instead of twelve. Chief, you know the deputy chief's phone number, don't you.'

'Uh, yeah.'

'Call him. If he picks up, hand the phone to me. I technically have more authority in this case so it's better if I do the talking.'

As he pulls out his phone and dials a number, I switch the channel on the TV that was broadcasting the new Kira's message just a minute ago, as it seems to have stopped. Whoever took the Soichiro Yagami approach to entering the building must've ended it, either that or it finished as planned when I wasn't paying attention. That reminds me, when should I discuss the whole "Death Note" thing with the Task Force in detail? Probably sometime later.

As the Chief hands me the phone I can faintly hear the deputy's ringtone through it.

' _BEEP BEEP IMMA SH- *BIP* …Nigel, I told you not to call me when-_ '

'This is L. I have a request. There will be more officers driven to act on their own after seeing this broadcast. Unless strictly coordinated action is taken, we could have a major fuckup on our hands.'

 **(Dimina's POV)**

After several seconds of loudening footsteps from behind me I hear, 'Good news, all last-minute checks on the escape vehicle have showed nothing unexpected. Anything happen while I was down there?'

'Yeah, another cop car is just pulling up now. What do you want me to do about them?'

'Well, the broadcast's over, so there's no reason to kill them.'

'Well I should at least do _something_. After all, fighting's no problem at all when there are no witnesses.'

'Dimina, you've had enough fun for today, okay?' She complains, beginning to pack away the binoculars and walkie-talkies into her bag.

'Yeah, you're right. I'm not going to fight them… except I am!'

'Dimina! …Dimina Corabelle, get back here this instant!'

 **DIMINA used ROUNDHOUSE KICK!**

 **It's super effective!**

 **UNNAMED POLICE OFFICERS fainted!**

Soaring back up out of there I subtly giggle at the priceless look on Lauren's face.

'…What the fuck?!'

'Don't worry, they're still alive, I made sure of it, they're just a little temporarily unconscious. Plus, no-one else would've seen that since I'm invisible, remember? So there's nothing to worry about.'

 **(Luci's POV)**

This other channel's reporters sure are awful.

' _Oh fuck! Pig's down! Pig's turned to bacon!_ '

' _Shit bro! Fuck it! Book it! Ah, yo, skedaddle!_ '

Focusing back on the Deputy Chief on the phone I hear:

' _…_ _All right, L. You tell me how to coordinate this._ '

(Twelve seconds later)

'Yes… that's right. They should never show their faces…'

Out the corner of my eye I see Q enter with his phone in his hand.

'Luci, its Munaglo!'

'…Yes, thank you, Deputy Chief. Look, something's just come up, I'll call you back in five seconds, okay? Okay.'

*BIP*

'… I'll put it on speaker.'

*BIP*

' _This is Mungalo, get me Luci!_ '

'Hold on for a moment.'

I lower Q's phone and re-raise the Chief's.

*BIP*

'Deputy Chief, the one in the police vehicle was Mungalo.'

' _Tell him that we'll be there in ten minutes._ '

 **[BIP INTENSIFIES]**

' _I need to speak with Luci_ ' Mungalo mutters.

'I'm sorry, I didn't catch that. If you would like to speak to a representative, say "agent". If you'd like to travel through your problems with Microsoft tech support, press 2.'

' _I fucking hate Microsoft!_ '

'Calm down Mungalo, I'm just kidding.'

' _Luci, that's you? I got the videos, but you need to send some help, I gotta get the bloody 'ell outta here!_ '

'We're sending police officers.'

' _How many?_ '

'All of them.'


	28. Chase

**Alright, here we go again.**

 ** _So, there are, like, small shout-outs and larger ones? Do I get a FUS RO DAH! for favoriting, following and reviewing?_**

 **You got an endorsement of your FanFiction, that's what you got.**

 ** _Despite her best efforts? She wants a human to get rid of half their remaining lifespan?_**

 ** _In your great Death Note-related multiverse where humans become Shinigami, I'm sure Dimina, being a human before, would know that._**

 **Of course she knows that! It's also part of the reason she isn't inclined away from mentioning the offer (the other reason being that, deep down, she doesn't really give a shit about Lauren).**

 ** _Yeah, because both are-nevermind._**

 **I can think of about three or four ways you likely could've ended that sentence, all with varying implications.**

 ** _3.5*_**

 **Yeah, I was wondering how long it'd take someone to realize that the "cannon fodder four" (that was my off-screen name for them) are all named after anime characters who die relatively early on.**

 ** _I'm not a Microsoft fan, but retarded anti-Microsoft Mungalo is very retarded._**

 **That was actually a reference to one of the** ** _Death Note Abridged_** **Youtube serieses.**

 **(Mungalo's POV)**

Leaving the building I'm somewhat stunned by how little Luci was exaggerating back there when he said "all of them". A vast blockade of law enforcement personnel surrounds the front of the building in a reinforced semi-circle, a black screen covering the entrance. Everyone is clad head-to-waist in body armor, and is wearing a tinted visor to hide their faces. Booming overhead is the sound of Luci's original scrambled voice through some kind of megaphone.

' _All right, men, stay close together! Do not open the smallest gap! Do not show yourselves! It is likely Kira is still in the area, do not allow him to see the officer exiting the building! Said officer, please follow the man in the blue uniform._ '

In front of the screen is a police vehicle with tinted windows, and someone's standing there opening the door for me. I do as told, and without saying a word, the man leads me into a vehicle.

'Thanks, mate.'

'Heh, no problem,' the man responds, taking off his helmet as he slides into the driver's seat.

'…Chief? I didn't think you'd-'

' _Shut up Mungalo, I'm trying to organize a blockade here!_ ' I hear through the megaphone, ' _Now, all of you, there's a good chance Kira is hiding where he can see us, so just make sure you don't show yourselves while searching the place. All roads to the north, south, east and west have been closed off._ '

As we silently drive off, I turn up the radio, where one of the news anchors announces:

' _The police seem to be on their highest alert. The entire area around Tomorrow's Today Tonight has been sealed off, except for a few checkpoints. The police are clearly planning to fight this Kira! Their answer is a resounding "NO!"!_ _They are going to fight the two Kiras! I repeat, the police are obviously rejecting this Kira's offer to work together!_ '

 **(Lauren's POV)**

'All right, I think it's safe to say our work is done here.' I draw up my hood to cover my face completely.

'About that, they've got armed men going into all the surrounding buildings, and I wouldn't be surprised if they've already locked down the ground floor of this one, so you should take the stairs. I'll wait outside.' With that she shoots through the ceiling and out of sight.

Take the stairs? I'm on, what, the third floor? Call me lazy but I don't think she realizes that I can't just fly through stuff. I enter the lift and push the ground floor button.

…

…

*DING*

FUCK! SHIT! I quickly jump under one of the tables, narrowly avoiding the beams of police-grade flashlights emerging from the front doorway, but even in this darkness I doubt they didn't catch a glimpse of me. Luckily, the closing elevator grabs their attention long enough for me to make a stealthy half-second sprint to an adjacent table, where I locate a large vent elevated slightly above the floor and make one final sprint, expertly jumping into it. Fuck stealth, right now I just need to get outta here. I take a deep breath and crawl through the vent as fast as I possibly can, which has little effect on how close the flashlight beam behind me is. Combined with the occasional crackle of a police radio behind me, I can be fairly certain that at least one of them has followed me in here.

I soon reach a small open space with what looks like a dead end ahead, and Dimina shows up through the left wall, swerving around me and giving a direct punch to the officer's face behind me, knocking him unconscious.

'…Next time I tell you to take the stairs, you fucking take the stairs, okay? Just remember, if we get caught, you're deaf and I don't speak English. Actually, technically since they can't see or hear me that means only you have to be worried right now. Alright, so the wall I jumped in through is really thin, you can probably just kick it down.'

My heart now pounding in my chest, I do as suggested and exit the pipe, quickly finding the emergency stairwell which I sprint up as fast as possible. I waste not a moment looking down but from their voices and the sound of their footsteps I'd say I'm roughly two floors above the cops.

'On the bright side, at least no-one has seen what you look like.'

'Shut up Dimina.' I burst out the top of the stairwell and find myself on the roof of the building. Luckily it doesn't seem there are any helicopters nearby, but now I have no way of getting down to the escape vehicle. Walking up to the edge and looking down I see that it's parked there just as it should be, and the alleyway it's in is still empty, which is good, but that doesn't solve the problem of how **AAAAAAAAAAAHHH!**

*CLUNK*

…

…

'…Whoever just pushed me off a fucking building is going to have their name in my Death Note.'

'Oh, calm down. Personally I think you should be thanking me, since the cops burst through the door literally less than a second before I instigated your descent. And you only fell, what, seven meters? Just be grateful you hit the roof of the doughnut truck instead of the concrete ground.'

*BZZ*

Huh? What was that? Who could possibly be texting me right now?

' _Hey sis, where are you right now?_ '

' _I just fell off a roof. So I'm kinda chillin for a minute._ ' I hurriedly respond without thinking.

' _…_ _The fuck?_ '

' _Let's just say that at some point tonight the bad ideas in my head became bad decisions that happened outside of my head._ '

'Hey, Lauren, in case you've forgotten we're supposed to be escaping, remember?' Dimina interrupts.

'Oh, right.' Putting my phone back in my pocket I slide off the roof of the escape vehicle and get inside. Granted, this doughnut truck (more of a small van than a truck) may not be the most sleek, speedy, luxurious thing one can imagine, but it was the best I could do with the limited time I had. Twisting in the key I see the blue-white light emitted by the high beams and the engine roars into life.

As I clutch the gear shift and the revving vibrations intensify, Dimina turns to me with a sudden look of curiosity. 'Hey, when we went over this plan, there's one thing you forgot to mention. Have you ever actually driven before?'

'Aside from when I got this truck over here, no. And at 15 I am way too young to even-'

 **'** **THIS IS THE POLICE. EXIT YOUR VEHICLE IMMEDIATELY.'**

'Lauren, slam it!'

If by "it" she means the accelerator, I do just that, and-

*CRUNCH*

…Okay, apparently it was in reverse. Let's try that again. I correct the stick and violently pull out of the alleyway before swerving on to the main road. Now the real fun begins.

'Holy fuck, how didn't I see this?! Lauren, there are still boxes of doughnuts here! They were literally just sitting under the explosives the entire time!'

'Yeah, that's nice, can you change the radio to the news for me?'

*munch munch omnomnom*

Typical Dimina. I flick on the radio and, sure enough, the news people have already spotted us.

' _We are now reporting live where it appears that several police cars are now in a high-speed pursuit of a doughnut van leaving the area in which less than an hour ago-_ '

Okay, okay, okay, keep calm. Driving should be easy. Just remember all the-

 ***BWEEP bip bip BWEEP***

Shit, they're on my tail already. All right, time to use some of my brother's black magic. Taking a hand off the wheel I turn on a small device lying on the passenger seat next to me. The WatchDog. Named after a game which inspired a _Game Theory_ video which inspired him to create it, it was originally supposed to be sold to the mafia and other crime syndicates in large quantities, back when he was in more regular contact with them. To simplify, it's designed to do things that normally only Tom can do, so he doesn't have to do it himself. Whether it's identifying someone's name and other key information just by seeing their face, listening in on the phone conversations of the people around it, hacking into and controlling security cameras, turning any ATM into a free money dispenser, remotely misfiring or shutting down pacemakers, remotely emptying all the insulin in one or more target insulin pumps up to a hundred meters away, mimicking any wireless network to steal information… at least, all that was the original idea.

The project was eventually abandoned due to time constraints and Tom's vast overestimation of his own abilities, and this grey metallic box is the closest thing he had to a prototype, which has only a small handful of useful abilities, that I'll be using over the next few minutes.

'WatchDog, confirm activation.' I begin.

' _Activation confirmed._ ' If there's one thing I'm really thankful for it's that voice recognition was one of the few promised features that it actually has.

'WatchDog, scan for police vehicles within 400 meters.'

' _…_ _twelve vehicles detected._ '

'WatchDog, keep track of those vehicles and open planned trajectory.'

The screen displays a map with the same color scheme and format as Google Maps, and a red dot representing myself is now shown speeding through the area. A yellow line zigzags down several streets before stopping at a blue dot labelled in tiny letters: _Abandoned warehouse no. 2._

Taking a hard right I unintentionally hop a curb, frightening some pedestrians as I begin the next part of my plan. 'WatchDog, begin scan on planned trajectory.'

' _…_ _two traffic light systems identified between present location and destination._ '

At this point what were barely-noticeable red and blue lights a minute ago are now gleaming across my mirror. The police siren is getting louder and they're giving another warning through the megaphone, but I'm certain they won't expect this…

'WatchDog, initiate procedure "LightSwitch" along those systems.'

' _Initiating procedure._ '

The moment it says that, the traffic light in front of me turns green, and out of the corner of my eye I sees it go red again when I speed past. On the WatchDog's screen it shows that all of the police vehicles directly behind me have now been stuck behind that light, exactly as planned.

' _Procedure one of two complete._ ' Now the really real fun begins.

'WatchDog, begin control analysis for police vehicles within 400 meters.'

' _…_ _Analysis complete. Seven vulnerabilities detected in each vehicle._ ' It replies over the sound of one of the side mirrors being swiped off completely by a lamppost. I shift gears again and floor the gas pedal.

'WatchDog, identify vulnerabilities.'

' _Vulnerable elements include: Steering, Brakes, Engine-_ '

'Shut down engines in all vehicles!'

A few seconds later I hear distant screeching sounds followed by a distinct crashing noise, followed by another, and another…

'Wait, did you actually just do that?' Dimina asks, poking her head up next to mine.

'Yup. My brother even showed me once how it's done.'

'Okay, just don't say I didn't warn you when a certain reviewer calls bullshit on that.'

'Wait, what?'

'...Oh, never mind. I forgot you didn't know about the-'

' _Procedure one of twelve complete. Procedure two of twelve complete. Procedure three of twelve complete…_ '

On the map I can see that there are no more police cars pursuing me, but I still need to hurry if I want to have a chance at outrunning the helicopters.

' _…_ _Procedure twelve of twelve complete._ ' WatchDog narrates as another red light briefly turns green while we shoot past it.

' _Procedure "LightSwitch" two of two complete._ '

'WatchDog, remove all evidence of-'

' _ERROR. BATTERY CRITICAL. COMMENCING EMERGENCY SHUTDOWN._ '

'FUCK!'

'Don't worry Lauren, all they'll know is that we hacked into their cannon fodder's automobiles. You once mentioned that there are less than half a dozen people who know that your brother is T, and that there are only about a hundred people who even know about T, so it's unlikely they'll figure out who you are. Oh, and in case you were wondering, before you crashed the police cars I flew up to them and checked the numbers above all the cops' heads, you know, in case you asked me to kill them. Only about five of them were scheduled to die tonight or tomorrow, so I'm sure most of them are okay.'

'That's good. In other news, it looks like we're here.'

Coming to an abrupt halt beside the abandoned warehouse I grab the WatchDog, Dimina grabs as many boxes of doughnuts as she can carry, and we both jump out and run into the warehouse, where we'll avoid being seen by the approaching helicopters.

'Dimina, have you got the remote detonator?'

'Yup. Right here.' She answers, throwing it to me where I catch it in mid-air.'

Crouching inside a small metal crate behind a larger metal crate I hover my finger over the single red button on the small black device. 'Well, here goes nothing…'

 ***BANG***

…

…

…Holy fuck that was loud. Turning around I see the flaming debris of what was the doughnut truck and everything within half a dozen meters of it, which is illuminating the entire warehouse with a dull red-orange glow. If that hasn't gotten rid of any fingerprints, DNA etc. that they could've found, then I don't know what would.

'It's a shame, really. All those doughnuts that will never be eaten…'

'Dimina, why are you so always emotional about being hungry?'

'Don't try to tell me that hungry is not an emotion because I feel that shit in my soul. Maybe if you'd gone decades without eating anything from outside the Shinigami world you'd understand.'

 **(Luci's POV)**

Hearing a knock at the door behind me I turn around and Q lets Mungalo and Blackheart in.

'Chief! Mungalo!' Okada exclaims, happy to see them.

'Welcome back,' Aivenawa adds, less enthusiastically.

The mini-reunion is cut off by the ringing of the chief's phone.

'Oh, just excuse me for a minute.' He says, leaving the room.

'I'm sorry if I got a little impulsive there, Luci.' Mungalo apologizes.

'Yeah, that's nice, now let us see the videos!'

He hands me the bag. 'I already told you that they'd destroyed the original, but all the copies are in here.'

'Thank you, Mungalo. I hope what you did will not be in vain. Now, on the off-chance one of these actually is the original and the airheads at TTT were lying, I suggest someone send these over to forensics.'

Pearl comments, 'I can do that. I know a lot of the people in the FBI's forensics departments, and I know that they do their jobs well. Even if none of them are the original, they should be able to find something. Of course, we should edit out the sound in the videos that we give them, so they don't hear what's said.'

'Great. Thank you. While they're doing with that, I'll watch the copies myself to see what's in them.'

Nigel re-enters the room with a hopeful look on his face.

'Well I've got good news. We may just have a lead regarding the new Kira.'

'Already? Go on.'

'While searching the surrounding area, some of our men encountered an individual in an empty office building, and…'

 **(Ivan's POV)**

(Note: As before, all the dialogue in this next scene is in Russian but written in English)

'Vladimir Putin, you wanted to speak with me in private?' I ask, standing before the Russian president's desk.

'Yes. And while no-one's listening, you can just call me Vladimir. Now, take a seat.'

'…I'm sorry about my informal suit. It was just such short notice and I-'

'That's fine. I remember a little trick I learned when I was younger was that, when someone pointed at my black KGB suit and humorously asked whose funeral I was going to, a look around the room and a casual "haven't decided yet" was always a great response. Now, I assume you're already aware of what happened down in Australia three hours ago?'

'I have a rough idea, but I don't know the details-'

'Neither does anyone else right now. Now so far I've privately spoken with some of the others about this, and after hearing their opinions, I'm starting to have doubts about whether or not we should go ahead with Operation Alexander and the annexation of Belarus, now that we have this new Kira.'

'…What do you mean?' After hearing the news I'd already thought ahead and warned the director of the FSB to be on standby, but this sounds like a rather extreme thing to say, especially coming out of Vladimir himself.

'Well, for all we know, this "Kira" might be another victim of western mainstream media propaganda, in which case there's a pretty high chance that they'd kill us all once we initiate the two operations and the west describes it as "extreme Russian aggression", or whatever bullshit catch-phrase they use these days.'

'…Yes, that is a risk.'

'Or maybe that's just what Kira wants us to think, and he and the "second Kira" are actually the same entity. It would provide a golden opportunity to finish us off, after all.'

'Are you implying that Kira could turn against us?'

'I'm not implying it, I'm stating it. I mean, for all we know, "Kira" may just be an extremely well-performed operation perpetrated by our enemies. It would certainly explain what "he" did in Syria and North Korea, and why "he" hasn't tried to contact us since December.'

'If that were the case, we'd have been killed off long ago. I know you have your doubts, and I know that your intelligence is a force to be reckoned with, but I have to disagree with you here. Just look at how much Kira's orders have improved our country, or how much his influence has damaged NATO so far this year.'

'Influence?'

'You think it was luck that led to French Guiana, New Caledonia and the Canary Islands all gaining their independence within the last three months? Sure, there haven't been any heart attacks involved in any of those cases, but I highly doubt Kira doesn't have more tools in his arsenal than mere cardiovascular assaults. The bottom line is, one of us has to be wrong and it's not going to be me!'

'I suppose the difference in judgement between you and me originates from different rules derived from past experience, as would be expected. In any case, even if Kira is on our side, that still does nothing about the second one.'

'I'm sure the new Kira will see the truth. Granted, if I were in your position I'd postpone Operation Alexander until further notice, but as for Belarus, they _voted_ to join the Russian Federation. I don't see how anyone could demonize us for their decision.'

'Ah, yes, because _no-one at all_ demonized us for Crimea's decision when they voted to join us three years ago… Of course, by now I'm used to getting constantly bombarded with hatred and backlash from the west. You know, people claim to know you through the things they think you've done, and not by sitting down and listening to you speak for yourself. It's not fair. Although I guess Kira has the same problem.'

'…This isn't like you, Vladimir. What ever happened to the fearless leader who vowed to protect the Russian people wherever they may be, and who promised to fight the western elitists and their world order to the bitter end?'

'Oh, he hasn't gone anywhere. Don't worry, I was leaning against having these new events affect the annexation of Belarus from the beginning, but I can't say anything for certain yet, at least not until I've heard defense minister Shoygu's opinion. Speaking of which, he should be arriving here any minute now… Ivan, we'll speak again at the next weekly meeting. Enjoy the rest of your afternoon.'

'Thank you, Vladimir.' With that I silently leave the room.

 **(Luci's POV)**

Pearl and I finish going over the fourth tape for the last time, having pulled one of the most exhausting all-nighters I've been through since the case I was on in Libya last year. I rub my eyes as Q answers the door and the Task Force enters.

'Good morning Luci. So, what do you make of it?' Chief Blackheart inquires, and I stifle a yawn amid turning around in my chair.

'We haven't run a full analysis on the car chase yet, but to put it simply, these are some very interesting videos. To put it less simply, the instructions were to broadcast video 3 if we agreed to work with the Kiras, and to broadcast video 4 if we rejected it, which we obviously did. Video 1 was to convince _Tomorrow's Today Tonight_ that the sender had Kira's power. Video 2 was what we saw on TV yesterday, the message to Kira and I.'

'It took you all night to watch four short videos?'

'Shut up Okada! So, the good news is that neither video makes any big demands of us. The bad news is that, if the videos aired are altered or edited in any way, it's claimed that we'll be facing a massive killing spree of basically everyone who's keeping this investigation afloat, so our hands are tied there. That's probably a bluff, but let's not test that the hard way. Now, the badder news is that, after watching and re-watching these countless times, I am now over 90 percent confident that the individual who produced and sent them is not Kira, but as they claimed they are rather a second individual with the same power… a second Kira.'

'So what did they want from us if we gave in to their demands?' Mungalo questions.

'Basically, they wanted the police and media to show more criminals on the news, and particularly to report crimes relating to corruption and other inefficiencies within the world's law enforcement agencies themselves. It's mentioned that exactly which one gets to decide who gets punished cannot be said conclusively, at least not until the two of them are in regular contact.'

'What else did it say?'

'The one other demand was that, as proof that the police are sincere about cooperation, top ANPA and ICUP officials have to appear on TV to make the announcement. In other words, to make the top brass and myself show our faces, so they have a trump card in case we turn on them. Now, even the video itself mentions that the probability of us choosing to cooperate is, and I quote, "less than five percent".'

'So what about the "no" video, number 4…?'

'It's a similar speech, but without any of the demands. It'll be faster to have you watch it than to explain it in words. Nigel, I suggest we go ahead and give _Tomorrow's Today Tonight_ permission to air this video.'

*BEEP*

' _Hello again. It is highly unfortunate that the police have rejected my offer and will continue to oppose Kira and I. That being said, I never really expected them to accept it anyway. After all, there's a much bigger battlefield being fought on here, on which ANPA, the ICUP and the world's other law-enforcement agencies are little more than pawns at best, cannon fodder at worst. Now my message to Kira in all of this is the following: when we do meet in the near future, and perhaps even before then, I know we are inevitably going to have our disagreements. But there are common ideological bonds we share, and if we work together, I am sure that we can face the enemies that are at our doorstep, and we can take the fight to them! I know that neither of us want to take the lives of innocent people, but that does not mean we don't have work to do. Together we can create a world with no place for injustice, no matter who the perpetrator or the victim are. Also, when we do meet, I have some vital information which I think you'll find very… interesting…_

 _Of course, right now, this broadcast is being listened to by millions more of you who aren't directly involved but are enthusiastically cheering on the Kiran phenomenon. And while you may all stay on the sidelines for the foreseeable future, there are things you can do to begin to move the world in the right direction. Remember, the greatest crimes in the world are committed not by people breaking the laws but by those who follow them. It's people who lawfully follow orders that drop bombs and fire missiles in foreign countries, and who spy on and attempt to manipulate the rest of us on the home front. And, when in the course of history a political system has shown itself to be an enemy of the people, the people have the right and the responsibility to dissolve that system. To stand by passively without so much as raising one's voice as the tide of tyranny rises is a betrayal of our future generations._

 _In the end, I just want the weak who get swept along with the flow to be considered human too, but Kira and I can't do that all on our own. That which can be destroyed by knowledge of the truth should be, however the process of relaying real information to the public is becoming increasingly rare. And certain events on the other side of the ocean certainly haven't been helping. Just remember that having access to true knowledge is a basic right, and our rights as people were not granted by some government or global organization. Our rights are granted to us purely by the fact that we are living humans. And if you think that some authority can pick and choose what rights you have, then you clearly don't know what rights are. But Kira and I do, and we will not rest until every man, woman and child on this Earth has all the safety, peace and freedom they could ever ask for._

 _And to L, the Task Force and all other major opponents of us Kiras, I must make it clear that we will never give up, just because you have the high ground. We do not fight because we think we can win but rather because we have to win and it is for that reason that WE WILL NEVER SURRENDER!_ '


	29. Alliance

**Okay, so AV's review was basically just "I call BS on all the things but I'm not going to explain why" (although I kinda know why) so I don't have much to actually review. On a side note, right now I have 18 AV reviews, 1 spam review and 3 reviews from other people. THREE. Seriously, wtf?!**

 **(Chris' POV)**

'Well, Chris, what do you make of that?'

'What do you mean?'

'I'm just saying, this second Kira seems like a bit of a badass.'

'Yeah, so it looks like this "Dimina" of yours has come down here, and her Death Note is in the hands of one of my fans. And it's a girl, too. Not only that, but the death of the four cops who arrived on the scene makes it almost certain that, while "she" may not have the Shinigami eyes, Dimina may be willing to-'

'Oh, fuck no! Let me tell you one thing, if Dimina doesn't want to do something, she won't do it. Don't mistake her for another one of myself.'

'Still, if I play my cards right, we could team up with those two and gain an advantage over Luci and his bitches. Not to mention the fact that through Dimina I might find out stuff you won't tell me, like your full name.'

'Well, I don't really have a full name anymore, but if you won't take my word for that, then, sure, ask her.'

'…On the other hand, I hate the way that kouhai dragged down Kira's image with the stuff they've been doing. The real Kira would never kill anyone on live TV.'

'Wait, isn't that exactly what you did back in chapter 6?'

'THAT WAS ONE TIME! So like I was saying, I can't let those two run wild for too long… Then there's Luci. He's going to be pretty desperate, given the present situation. If the new Kira messes up and gets caught, he could find out about the existence of the Death Notes, or worse, he could acquire one. We can't let that happen, so we need to make contact with the new Kira, preferably without Luci knowing. I also need to make sure Kallet won't be a problem.'

'Good luck with that.'

'Rugo, have I ever let you down be-Don't answer that. Just trust me, _please._ '

 **(Lauren's POV)**

It's a beautiful morning outside today, and I'm strolling down the streets following dad's "suggestion" that I "go outside and do something". And I'm hating every moment of it. The sun, the heat, the fact I'm outside my room, and the fact that I can't talk to Dimina when I am literally surrounded by people. To anyone else, I appear to be an ordinary young woman on a leisurely stroll through the crowded suburban… wherever this is.

'So, Lauren, if an "ideal" teenager is at school for roughly 8 hours, and they should be doing homework for 3 hours, plus studying for another 3 hours, and they need at least 10 hours of sleep for their developing brains, plus 2 hours, on average, for things like eating, bathing, exercise, socializing and family time, how much free time does that give them?'

Turning to an empty alleyway I shrug in response, as giving a verbal answer this close to the crowds is out of the question.

'I guess you don't really care about that sort of thing, since you hate school so much.'

Is this far enough? Yeah, this should be far enough.

'Dimina, let me be clear. When I say I hate school, it doesn't mean I hate education and knowledge. It means that I hate selfish and ignorant people there. It means that I hate stress and high expectations. It means that I hate being treated like shit because of my beliefs, ideologies or background. I mean, fuck, the other day one of those bitches had a go at me just because I wasn't vegan!'

'Yeah, I saw that. Funnily enough, we had vegetarians back in my day too. We called them peasants. By the way, why aren't you using the Death Note more for yourself?'

'I am using it for myself. By now Kira must know about me, and I'm pretty sure he'll accept my offer for an alliance. You really don't know how exciting these last few days have been for me, Dimina. I really want to know who Kira is, what he's like.' She turns to me with a disappointed look on her face.

'…If what I think is happening, IS happening… it better not be. Lauren, you shouldn't develop feelings. That's how most idiots screw up. In any case, you're playing a dangerous game here. You might get killed, which means I'll have to find another human to give the Death Note to in order to stay in this world. It was hard enough locating you, how easy do you think it'll be to find a replacement?' I giggle slightly at her worriedness.

'Well, people who can't throw something important away can never hope to change anything, and I'd say the potential risk is worth the reward here. I'm sure Kira will be excited to get a second human on his team, and anyway, if push comes to shove, I'll just "take his place" and no-one will ever know.'

'Okay, well if you do that I certainly won't stop you, just remember that even a Death Note owner who's cleverly avoided all head-to-head battles is sure to have a number of times in life when he or she must fight with every last ounce of strength. For now, let's head back home. I think this has been more than enough "outside time" for today.'

 **(Luci's POV)**

Through the live camera feed on my laptop, I can see the Task Force walk through the lobby of the hotel, the chief leading them. Q enters the room with tea, cake and other snacks for the day, and a minute later, a soft knock summons me to the door where I let the five of them in.

'Anything new?' The chief asks, which is immediately answered by Pearl while she sets up the table.

'So we know for sure that there's a new Kira, and that, as we suspected, they're capable of hacking into police vehicles. There are only a small number of people in the Greater Sydney area with those kinds of abilities.'

'I don't like their style,' I add, 'it's not like Kira at all. Those TV announcers that were killed were innocent victims, as were the four officers we sent over. It's obvious that doing things like that may arouse public hostility against the Kiras. If I were the first one, I'd be pretty furious. So far Kira has avoided attacking non-criminals. His method is to make his views gradually penetrate and change society. His aim is not a dictatorship based on fear. Unfortunately, the original envelope sent to Tomorrow's Today Tonight was incinerated and the van the second Kira is assumed to have escaped in self-destructed, so we don't have any fingerprints or other physical evidence.'

'But how can you be sure that this is a new Kira, and not just an act being put on by the first?' Aivenawa questions, taking a seat on the couch with the others.

'In addition to what I've told you all, there's one final straw that undeniably leads me to this conclusion. The Kira we have been investigating needed a person's name and face in order to kill them. But that time at the TV station, the four we sent out were killed without any identification on them. This means that the second Kira can kill knowing only a person's face.'

'What if our information was wrong, or Kira's abilities have changed?'

'If that were the case, Kira would kill the major criminals whose names he hasn't been able to find out. But the existence of a new Kira does have a silver lining. Even if they don't kill in the same way, I believe that if we capture one, we'll gain some clues at least as to how to capture the other one. In my estimation, the real Kira is the smarter of the two. And if I were him, I would try to find the second Kira before the Task Force does. And if I were the second Kira, finding the first would be my top priority too. That means we're in a race with both the Kiras to track down one of them before they meet. Luckily I have been able to formulate a complete plan in my head over a time period of about fifteen seconds. We will publish a fake message, claiming to be the real Kira.' The whole Task Force turns to me with a look of curiosity at the end of that sentence.

'Huh? I don't understand.' Okada nervously admits.

'It's quite simple, really. How do you put out a fire?'

'Water, probably?'

'Wrong. A second, bigger fire to make the first one feel inferior. What I'm thinking we should do is write a script for a response to the new Kira's message. Except, we will pretend to be the first Kira. A bigger Kira. A stronger Kira.' Should I mention that this is the EXACT same strategy as that used by L's team in _Death Note_? Nah, there's no reason to. If it worked for them, hopefully it will work in reality.

'What if people catch on to our façade and-'

'Oh please, like people are that smart.'

'This is a little confusing to me…'

'Then it's decided. One of you write up a message from Kira that we can broadcast during tonight's news. I already have a 3D-printer model of Kira's suit, but someone needs to actually print it out. And the flag Kira is shown in front of in his broadcasts is something Pearl can easily edit in. Chief, contact all the TV stations and reserve a ten-minute block sometime between seven and ten o'clock tonight.'

'I'll do the script.' Mungalo says, grabbing out a pen and paper. And with that the rest of them all begin work on their roles as well.

( _One hour later_ )

'Is that good enough, Luci? I tried to get into Kira's shoes.'

I look down at the script, which I see is composed of at least ten pages stapled together. I flip to the second page and skim over it.

 _…_ _I am sure that this has proven to you that I am Kira. I do not want to murder the innocent, which is why I murder the innocent. I hate evil, and love justice, which is why I hate myself. If anyone tries to catch me, I will kill them, because I love peace, and so I murder. My actions will make everyone happy, excluding everyone who is not me. I will turn this screwed up world into an even more screwed up world…_

I jump ahead to the seventh or eighth page and keep reading.

 _…_ _Listen, when I was your age, I had to walk seventeen paces to my bike, but when I got to my bike, sometimes the wheels were gone, and sometimes there were extra wheels. The point is…_

Yeah, I should add "extensive experience in dealing with stupid people" to my resume. That has got to be a marketable skill. Well, we don't have time to fix it now.

'It's good enough. Okada, the script is ready. Here you are.'

As I hand over the script, the aforementioned detective comments, 'Man, if I screw this up, my dad's gonna kill me!'

'I think your _dad_ killing you should be the least of your worries. Besides-'

At that moment the doors slam open behind me, and Q enters with a familiar worried look on his face.

'Luci, it appears we were too slow! Kira has beaten us to it!' I immediately scramble for the remote and turn on the TV.

*BEEP*

' _We have startling news! Reacting to the "new Kira" broadcast two days ago, the true Kira has given a response! This morning at 5AM, another envelope was sent to our headquarters, and eight criminals died one by one from heart attacks every ten minutes, starting at midday. And a demand was made for this message to be broadcast on both our main and secondary channels at this time. Let's watch the message itself._ '

…And, sure enough, the video shows Kira in the same suit and in front of the same flag as always. And while his helmet is as opaque as usual, I think I have a pretty good idea of what kind of expression is hiding behind it.

' _I am Kira, the true Kira. To clarify, the creator of the video shown on Tomorrow's Today Tonight two days ago was not me, however is was someone with my power. Although I'm quite certain L has already figured that much out, and is already devising some hostile plan to identify the new Kira. And to this new goal I say, if you're going for it, I am going for it as well. Of course, the further a society drifts from the truth, the more it will hate those who speak it, and I have no doubt that L's propaganda network will treat this whole situation as if us Kiras are no longer on the defensive, as if we have the high ground just because there are now two of us. But you don't need people's opinions on a fact, which in this case is…_ '

 **(Lauren's POV)**

'He replied! Dimina, maybe we will get to meet Kira after all!'

'But he seems like a bit of a dick.' She responds, sitting on the top level of the bunkbed next to me in a cross-legged position as usual.

' _…_ _At this time, I will show leniency to the "new Kira" by recognizing that they did it in an attempt to help me achieve my goals. However, killing innocent police officers goes against my will. It only causes chaos and interferes with my desire for people to understand my purpose, not to mention the needless loss of life. If this person empathizes with my goals and wishes to cooperate with me, then I ask that they refrain from any such reckless actions in the future. If he or she does not heed my warning to avoid acting in this manner, then I will be forced to consider them an enemy of Kira, no less than L or the Task Force._ '

'So Rugo's doing the same thing I did, you want me to write down what he's written on his Death Note?'

'Yes, definitely.'

Kira continues, ' _Nothing is unforgivable, you know. In other words, if I were not willing to forgive them, it would be because I didn't want to forgive them. But no, instead I…_ '

'Aaaand I'm done.' I hear, as Dimina drops down a sheet of paper which I catch in mid-air, and begin reading.

 _DC,_

 _I hope-_

'Wait, what does he mean by "DC"?'

'My sister and I used to refer to ourselves by our initials. But I stopped doing that at around the time I became Rugo's Shinigami all those years ago, so this must be a subtle confirmation that it really is him writing to me here. Not that I had my doubts.'

With that in mind I continue reading.

 _DC,_

 _I hope your human has treated you well, and I can assure you that Kira is open to the idea of cooperating with her. In fact, he's rather enthusiastic about it. Now I know you fully expect me to have a big rant about why you shouldn't have come down here and that you're putting yourself in danger etc etc, but the truth is, I'm actually glad you're here, because, well… I miss you. And I think you may feel the same way. I'm lonely, you're lonely… but together, we can be lonely together. Just like old times. And also just like old times, we have an enemy we must defeat in order to save the world. But let's worry about that later._

'It sounds like he has a crush on you.'

'No-one has a crush on me. I am too strong to be crushed.'

…

 _Oh, and one more thing. Kira has two questions regarding the second Kira:_

 _1._ _How old is she?_

 _2._ _Is she single?_

'Wait what? Is that actually what he wrote?'

'Yup. So, what's the plan now? We can't send a counter-reply, since there's no way we can do a repeat of last night. So is there any way we can contact them?'

'Hmmm… we should ask Google-sensei for ideas.'

 **(Tom's POV)**

-Beep-

The moment Indy picks up the skype call she states, ' _Okay, kid, first let me just start by saying that now that there's this "new Kira" around, I say we immediately begin focusing all our efforts into a large-scale investigation into the potential identity of him or her._ '

'That won't be necessary.' I calmly suggest.

' _What?_ '

'Just hear what I have to say, and hold your questions to the end. Now, Indy, have you heard of the WatchDog?'

' _I think you mentioned it once. Wasn't it one of your abandoned projects?_ ' From the seriousness of her tone I'm going to guess she isn't in the mood for a somewhat off-topic explanation.

'…sure, let's go with that. In any case, exactly one week ago, my sister asked if she could "borrow" the only pre-pre-alpha prototype I had actually made, and so I was like "yeah, sure, whatever".'

' _That was one day before the new Kira made their debut. How it that related?_ '

'Because, the two biggest features that the WatchDog had implemented were the remote controlling of traffic lights and of other vehicles on the road. And how did we all see the second Kira escape the police? By manipulating the lights and shutting down the pursuers' engines. I even got into ANPA's files on the event and, while the data was deleted one day later, it was up long enough for me to download it, and after a careful analysis I can confirm that the exact effects the second Kira had on the cops' cars coincide perfectly with what the WatchDog is designed to do.'

' _But if you could design a device that could do all that, surely someone else could._ '

'Yes, that's true, but I don't know of any hackers above- or under-ground who have attempted that before, at least none in the Southern Hemisphere.'

' _Still, it's ridiculous to think that your sister could somehow be siphoning equipment to the new Kira._ ' She fiercely objects.

'Yes, that's true, but then I noticed other strange occurrences. First, back in March, Lauren asked that I make her computer completely invulnerable to any kinds of tracking or spying, which was the same request Chris made back on day one. Shortly afterwards she demanded that I hack into the Kira investigation's computers and forward all information to her. But they've made the system so secure not even I can get in, so that couldn't be done. The thing is, until then, my sister hadn't really put much thought into the Kira phenomenon. She told me in private that she supports Kira and would do anything to help him in his mission, but she never actually did anything. Additionally, I've noticed she has been taking at least twice as much food up into her room lately, and through the wall I have heard her talking to herself far more frequently.'

' _Okay, Tom, I can tell you're bullshitting. Look, I get that you may want your sister to be the second Kira, but-_ '

'I'm not fucking around, Indy. In fact, if I'm wrong then I give you full permission to kill me, okay?'

' _…_ _The fuck?!_ '

'If that doesn't show how serious I am, then I don't know what will. Nothing I have said is made up, just as nothing I said was made up when I showed you who the first Kira really was.'

' _Even… Even if you aren't lying, it could still be a coincidence._ '

'Exactly, so in order to settle the matter once and for all I planted three cameras in her bedroom, just like what you did to discover that your brother was the first Kira. Since you wouldn't believe me if I told you what I saw, I'll just send you the raw video footage…'

( _A few minutes of video-watching later_ )

' _I suck at apologies, so… unfuck you. Or, whatever. So, any ideas?_ '

'Here's what I'm thinking. Lauren's birthday is tomorrow, and my present to her is a pair of emerald earrings, inside of which are two tiny hidden cameras, each with a voice recorder attached, which will allow us to see what she does. For obvious reasons they'll be deactivated when she isn't doing anything Kira-related, which should give us several weeks until the battery runs out.'

' _Why are you always trying to spy on people?_ '

'Because making bad decisions is what makes my family great and I don't plan on changing that anytime soon! And at least I never signed up to any borderline-suicide missions with the mafia, nor have I perpetrated any form of homicide before.'

' _Yeah, well even if I got stabbed it would be worth it. Besides, in all my time in the mafia I was never convicted of any self-defense-induced homicide. I just committed a few._ '

'Sure, sure, now the other thing I'm going to do is, on her birthday I'll casually mention that on October 24 last year a boy named Christian Atarshimono asked me to make the same modifications to his computer that I made to hers a while back, and that he also asked me to make a voice-scrambler for him. That way I can lead her to Chris without her even knowing that I know anything. I'll have to be careful about exactly how I say it, though.'

' _But are you sure we want them to meet?_ '

'I don't see why not. I actually think they'd be kinda cute together.'

' _Well, let me put it to you this way. My brother should come with a disclaimer that reads "bad at relationships but defensive when confronted about it." Or maybe just "WARNING: picks fights when bored."_ '


	30. Kouhai

**So, yeah, a lot of shit has happened. Like, a lot. Most of it was completely out of my control so I'm not apologizing for anything. With that out of the way, let's see what AV said this time:**

 ** _It would be very easy to understand that someone else is doing the killings unless the second kira is very careful._**

 **Yeah, Lauren probably should've thought through her plan a little better.**

 ** _*'Here's what I'm thinking. Lauren's birthday is tomorrow...*_**

 ** _How convenient!_**

 **Yes, it is! You see, Lauren's birthday is the same day Light and Misa met (May 25), and that conveniently lined up with when these events are taking place.**

 **And that should just about do it for… wait… is that…**

 **Someone else said something! A guest gave the following review:**

 ** _I really like this fanfiction, keep up the amazing work!_**

 **…** **Well, that isn't exactly as content-filled as I'd like, but hey, it's far better than nothing!**

 **(Chris' POV)**

After packing my school bag for tomorrow, I leave it next to the door and open up my laptop again.

'So, now that Luci's returned from the annual Bilderberg meetings again, I'll need to remind Connor and Kallet to be back on high alert. Who knows what kind of new tricks that elitist detective has up his sleeve now? At this rate, I doubt our three-person "L case" group is going to survive in its present form. And then there's the constant threat of the… Rugo?'

Spinning my chair around, I see that he isn't anywhere in sight. Must've gone down to get snacks or something-

'CHRIIIIIIIIIIS! SOMEONE'S AT THE DOOR FOR YOU!' I hear from Indy downstairs. It's probably Connor.

Through the door I yell, 'Tell him I'll be there in a minute!'

'It's a girl, Chris!'

'…Well tell Kallet that I-'

'It's a different girl! She says she brought over your notebook!'

Notebook? It can't be? Poking my head out the door I look down the stairs and see a short, slender young woman who appears to be around the same age as myself. She has long, straight brown hair and shining green eyes matching the color of her earrings.

She's… she's beautiful.

I quickly leave my room and descend down the stairs, closing the front door behind me so mum and Indy don't hear anything.

'Umm, can I help you?'

With a neutral, indecipherable look on her face, the girl introduces herself. 'Pleased to meet you, Christian Atarashimono. I am Lauren Blackheart, and I am the second Kira.'

'Ahhhhhmmmm…' How should I respond? On one hand, after over a month of silence from the Kouhai, it's a relief to know that my worries of her falling into enemy hands have clearly been incorrect, meaning my "extreme backup plan" will luckily never take place. That being said-

'Here, you can touch my Death Note.' She continues, and I look down to see said colour-inverted object of hers being held out at me, before briefly tapping the corner and looking up again to see… nothing. Darting my eyes left and right I still fail to identify anything resembling a Shinigami.

'Dimina's probably already trying to find Rugo. You'll see her any moment now.'

Well, that confirms it, this is the new Kira. Opening the door I politely gesture for her to enter, which she does.

'Come on in… Hey, mum, she came all this way, could you bring up some tea or something?'

Emerging from the other room mum grumpily shouts, 'Who's come all this way?! Who are you tal-'

'…'

'…'

'…Mum?'

'…Oh, yes, yes, I'll get right on it! Welcome to our home, Lauren.' She cheerfully says, returning to the other room.

Well that was awkward. I swiftly guide the girl up to my room and open the door for her.

'Please, step into my headquarters.'

'This is your headquarters?'

'It's a work in progress. You can take a seat anywhere.'

'Oh, thanks.' As she flops onto my bed I make sure the door is locked, and swivel my seat around to face her.

After a brief silence I begin.

'…How the fuck did you find me?'

'Well it was pretty easy. You remember back when you payed Tom to make your voice scrambler as well as protect your computer from any enemy attempts to hack into or spy on it?'

'How do you know about that?'

'He told me about it once.'

'How'd you even get into contact with him?'

'I'm his sister. Were you paying any attention at all when I introduced myself?'

'Well, of course! …kind of. Maybe.' Wait, so if she's Tom's sister, then she must also be the daughter of Nigel Blackheart, the chief of ANPA. That could be a problem. '…But back to my question, how did you conclude I was Kira from that information alone? It seems rather-'

 ***SPINZAKUKICK***

 **(Lauren's POV)**

Well, it looks like Dimina showed up. And from the look her face as she knocks Chris onto the ground, she certainly doesn't seem happy.

'THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU?!' She screams, taking a few more kicks at his stomach.

'W-what?!'

'Don't play dumb with me! With all your reckless actions you could've gotten my Rugo killed here, you crazy son of a bitch! Shinigami die if they are killed, you know!'

'…Dimina, are you okay?' I ask.

'Is _she_ okay?! She fucking attacked me for no reason!'

'NO REASON, HUH?!' ***PUNCH*** 'DON'T BULLSHIT ME YOU, YOU…'

Her sentence abruptly cuts off, and she turns around at what I assume is "Rugo", the other Shinigami.

Looking down she coldly warns, 'I'll be back', and leaves the room.

'…Chris, are _you_ okay?'

'I'm still breathing, but quite out of it. I think I hallucinated like five action sequences.'

'I do apologize for that. You see, Rugo is the closest thing-'

'-she has to family aside from some sister of hers which she hasn't been able to find in decades. I know, he told me all that.'

'Plus there's the fact that she's like a bitter old man except she's a medieval-era teenage girl.'

 **(Rugo's POV)**

As Dimina lies down on the roof and waits I find a box I'd been keeping in Chris' minifridge. Carrying it up I hear her ask,

'Haben Sie eine Ahnung, wie besorgt ich über Sie gewesen bin?'

'…Please, let's just stick to English. After all, we're now in an English-speaking country in a world primarily run by English-speaking people. Here, I got us Pizza.' I place the box between us and flip it open, revealing the large aforementioned food inside. Her eyes light up and she jumps up to... wait, is she hugging me? Okay, this is new. Uhhhh… how do I respond to this? What do I do?

'…You are so sweet, Rugo. You really didn't need to-'

'Yes I did, because unlike most people I care about you. That being said, you really shouldn't be so hard on my friend. I think you scared the shit outta him!'

'Heh, I doubt many can say that they've scared a Kira. Two, actually.' She jumps back to the other side of the box and continues, 'You really should've seen the look on that girl's face when she first saw me, she even ran at me with a knife like some kind of demonic warrior!'

'I hope you didn't throw a tantrum at her too.'

'What? Of course not. You know I only start an argument when I'm right, which is why I'm always arguing… So, you think he can do it?'

'Do what, exactly?'

'Why, "save the world" of course! Or whatever catch-phrase he uses. I'll admit that it's certainly an admirable idea, to tear down a world order built on lies, deception, propaganda and injustice, but it's easier to say such things than to actually succeed in doing them. And even if he wasn't a crazy unpredictable asshole, I think he's still setting his goals to high. Religion, ideology, resources, land, spite, love or just because… no matter how pathetic the reason, it's enough to start conflict. Injustice will never cease to exist, reasons can be thought up after the fact… human nature pursues strife.'

'Well, I'm not too fond of such pessimistic stories. Don't get the wrong idea, I have my doubts too, but we should at least hold a little hope.'

'Hope, huh? People are only able to hold onto hope, since death is that which cannot be seen.'

'Well you were certainly more optimistic last time.'

'Yes, but back then we had a clearly-defined enemy and realistic clearly-defined goals. In this situation, it's more like that old story about Icarus. He made wings out of wax so he could fly, but when he got too close to the sun, to god, his wings melted and he came crashing down to Earth.'

'Well I trust that Chris' "wings" won't melt.'

'…'

'…'

'…Rugo, would you ever give up your life to save his?'

'No. As of now, I wouldn't even seriously consider it. Besides, if I did that, who'd be there to see the good in you?'

'Heh, I don't want someone to only see the good in me. I want someone who sees the bad, and still wants me. I thought you figured that out decades ago.'

 **(Chris' POV)**

As Lauren continues to explain her story to me, I can't help but feel torn on whether I should let her team up with me. On one hand, she seems highly intelligent and she is pretty hot, plus it would be good to have another human to talk about these things with. After all, being Kira is the most important aspect of my life, and having to keep all my thoughts to myself can certainly induce a strong feeling of loneliness. On the other hand, if I accept her in, there's a high chance she'll be captured and killed. And even ignoring the fact that'll inevitably put me in the crosshairs too, I'm not sure if I'd even be able to handle having another girl I ally myself with die under my watch. I mean, fuck, she even _looks_ a bit like Viper.

'…Yeah, so then I did a bit of research into you on the internet, and it all seemed to add up. It was only then that I realized that I could just ask my Shinigami.'

'What do you mean?' I question, taking another sip of the tea mum brought up.

'It's against the rules for a Shinigami to tell a human the name or face of someone they don't know, but since I already had both of those there was nothing stopping her from openly confirming that you were Kira. She also gave me the directions to your house.'

'How did she know that in the first place?'

'It seems she's been watching over the two of you almost 24/7 from when Rugo left the Shinigami world to when she followed him down here.'

'That's all certainly a foolproof plan, I see. But if you had messed up somewhere along the way and been caught, Kira's secrets would have been revealed.'

'Well obviously I've managed to get this far without getting caught, so, in conclusion… I strongly suggest we become allies.'

'What?' I squeak, and while I don't have a mirror or anything in here I can feel my cheeks burning red.

Looking away I give my answer. 'I'll acknowledge that I liked the concept back when I made my reply to your broadcast, however now that we've met in person I really don't-'

'Come on, Chris, we can be a team, can't we? When I'm near destruction you can swoop in and try to save me! And when you're in a pinch, I'll pretend to be there for you! Allies.'

…

…

...I know I'll regret this later, but oh well…

'That sounds… nice… since I've never had another human on the team before, let alone a proper connection with a girl, I apologize if I treat you badly.' I reach over to my bookshelf and pull out a file I'd been working on in case this happened. 'Now, I have already written out this document which will specify the terms of our alliance. You don't need to read what it says, just sign it at the bottom.'

'Oh, Great!' She grabs one of the pens on my desk and writes her initials in the blank space provided. 'You know what? All my life I've wanted to be in a crime-busting gang, and now I am! So... I don't suppose you'd consider giving me a cool nickname, would ya?'

'No. "Lauren" is fine.'

'Okay, just don't make my Kira suit red. Or live-action!'

'Now, about your broadcast-'

'I made the same precautions you do. The envelope contained instructions to incinerate all physical evidence, and there's no way anyone could've seen me.'

'So I assume your Shinigami flew you there and back?'

'…Flew? What do you mean?'

'Well, when I deliver a video, Rugo basically carries me to the station and back here through the air.'

She looks rather stunned by this, and takes a few seconds for the words to come out of her mouth.

'…You fucking fly a Shinigami?! DIMINAAAA, WHY-'

'Nope. Too exhausting. And you're too heavy.'

'Oh hey, the fourth powerpuff girl is back!'

 ***KICK* *PUNCH* *MORE KICKING***

 **'** **THE FUCK DID YOU JUST CALL ME?! I ONCE KILLED A MAN IN HIS SLEEP WITH HIS OWN MOUSTACHE AND A GRAPE YOU KNOW!'**

( _A few minutes later_ )

'Do you have any idea how hilarious it was watching a little girl bash the shit out of you?'

'Shut… shut up… Lauren. So… as I was about to ask, how _did_ you deliver your envelope?'

'The station isn't far from my house, so I went there by foot and hid nearby while Dimina carried it the final 100 meters.'

'But then did anyone know you were going somewhere? More specifically your father, the chief of ANPA?'

'He was at work when I sent the message, and also during the broadcast itself.'

'And the car chase on that night, was that you?'

'Yup. And yes, it's true that I blew it up to remove potential evidence, accidentally setting half a warehouse on fire in the process.'

'Well, technically nothing is ever on fire, fire is on things… I actually saw the news footage of that the next morning. It kinda reminded me of a time a few years back when I was having a bonfire in the backyard with a few of my friends from school, and suddenly we heard sirens, and saw a firetruck turn into the street in front of us. So we all ran over to see what was up, and the neighbor's house was on fire! And when we got there, the woman was crying in her husband's arms, and then turned to us and gave us the most horrible look ever. It turns out we were still holding our sticks with marshmallows on them, watching the fire… it was really bad timing. Back on topic, what did you do regarding the cops' vehicles, or the traffic lights?'

'I borrowed one of my brother's old gadgets for that. And before you ask, no, there's no way he's going to suspect me of being a Kira. I mean, he's only thirteen!'

'Obviously. It would be silly to think that he could find out about any of this. Now, just to be sure, you don't have the eyes?'

'That is correct. You know, I might've taken them if they gave more useful information, like people's credit card details.'

'One more thing, where do you usually hide your Death Note?'

'Yeah, about that… I don't actually have a good place to keep it, so do you think you can hide it with yours?' She suggests, handing me the white notebook.

'But you might have removed several pages from this and are hiding them.'

'Of course I am! Do you really think I'd completely disarm myself?'

'Heh, at least you're being honest…. Wait… why _are_ you being honest? If I were in your place I'd almost be scared. After all, everyone else acts cautious when they even _talk_ about Kira.'

After a few seconds she gives a quiet sigh and answers.

'I guess the main reason I feel so comfortable is because… someone just like you once saved my life.'

Shit, is she gonna have some barely-relevant Misa-style backstory?

'"Someone just like me"?'

'Two years ago, my mother, brother and I were all held hostage by a foreign crime syndicate. My mum tried to get us out, but…'

…

…

Wait, that sounds just like what happened at-

'Two children, around the same age I was at the time, they saved Tom and I. But the thing is, under the justice system that existed at the time, _they_ were the bad ones. The vigilante corps, I believe they were called, they took lives when necessary in order to protect the innocent. Yet ANPA and all the other acronyms called them criminals because they were part of the Australian mafia. My father, and all those above and below him… none of them can see the difference between rightful vigilante justice and cold-blooded murder. Perhaps that's why I feel so comfortable around you, Chris. The boy who saved my life, he was no different from Kira, from you.'

Lauren Blackheart. Blackheart. How did I forget about… No, it can't be. This can't be the same girl… I need to be sure.

'Lauren, do you remember the name of this boy?'

'He used an alias, Onomihsarata.'

Holy fuck. It's her. Should I let her know? No, not yet. Not until I can safely predict her reaction. For now I'll act as though this is all new to me.

'…But Lauren, on the night of your broadcast you killed several innocent police officers. How is that different from the people who killed your mother?'

'Please don't ask questions you already know the answer to, Chris. Besides, you _also_ did that back when L made his debut.'

'First of all, that was only one guy. Second, he turned out to be a criminal anyway. Third, the Task Force refers to L as "Luci" and I say we should too.'

'Wait, have you met him?'

'Only in my dreams, and in reality… Fourth, and perhaps most importantly, RUGO FUCKING TRICKED ME TO DO IT!'

'Oh, right, so how about showing me him?'

I have to get her to trust me, and if we're going to be working together I suppose I have no choice but to show her Rugo.

'Yeah, sure.' I then proceed to locate my screwdriver and lift up the front of my laptop. I figured out a while ago that hiding the Death Note in plain sight simply isn't a long-term solution, so I rearranged the inside of my PC to empty out a space to keep it. Not only does the overall weight of the computer stay the same, but the screws themselves are so cleverly blended into the underside that you'd have a really hard time even locating them unless you know what to look for.

'And here you go.' I hold it out for her to tap the notebook, to be greeted by Rugo who's sitting on the bed next to her.

'Wow, you totally look different from Dimina. It's Rugo, right? Nice to meet you.'

'Same here.'

'…Hey, Chris, has Rugo ever told you where _Death Note_ came from?'

( _One boring, complicated explanation that'll be summarized in the next line of dialogue later_ )

'So, you're saying that the world of _Death Note_ is a real fucking place, and that it's connected to the Shinigami realm through a portal just as ours is? Is that what you're telling me?'

'I know, it certainly sounds unrealistic, but Dimina says it's all true.'

'And that's because it is,' the aforementioned god of death confirms. 'Let me put it to you this way. There was a time when most humans thought Africa and Eurasia were the only continents in existence, then you were proven wrong. There was a time when you thought Earth was the only planet in existence, then you were proven wrong. There was a time when you thought your solar system was the only one in existence, and then you were proven wrong, and so on. Yet you always continue to jump back to the conclusion that you've found the top level.'

I throw a quick disappointed glare at Rugo, promting him to speak up.

'I would've told you, but Light ordered me to keep it secret.'

'So, if I'm not mistaken, what this means is that Light, being a real person who really used a Death Note and really died, is now a Shinigami, and it's because of him that the four of us are sitting here right now?'

'Yeah, that's about it.' Dimina interrupts.

'So that makes Lauren and I, what, the "chosen ones" or something?'

'I highly doubt he'd choose _you_ to be this world's Kira.'

'SHUT UP YOU DEMONICALLY POSESSED-'

' **BOTH OF YOU STOP IT!** …Dimina, save your insults for later. Chris, don't be a dick.'

'But she started it!'

'WELL I'M FINISHING IT! Now, you were saying?'

'Yeah, I was going to ask, how could two nearly-identical Earths-'

'Three, actually. At least, three that Dimina knows of.'

The female shinigami glances at the floor, and answers my question before I can ask it.

'Let's just say it's very different from the other two. Also it's where I'm originally from.'

'Great, now things are even more confusing. But does this mean we're constantly being watched over by Light or one of his subordinates?'

'Nope. That squad has their hands full with their own world. We're completely on our own, to the best of my knowledge, meaning right now I don't even think it matters what is or isn't real. In fact, it could be years before this information has any use to us. And that _is_ bad, because things have changed since last time. Governments have become more powerful, their control has become more absolute and they've grown cleverer in their governing, whether it be in America, Britain, Japan or even there in Australia. They've all changed, used fear coupled with the lure of reward to gain a stronger hold over the masses. Governments these days are all secretly fascist in nature, schools indoctrinate instead of educate, common folk turn to the elites for salvation, youths follow madmen, and a veil of lies and propaganda keeps the truth hidden from nearly every-'

Rugo puts up a hand to stop her from rambling. 'In other words, it's exactly like last time.'

Huh?

'Wait, what's this "last time"?'

'Oh, oh, it's nothing. Forget Dimina or I said anything.'

'…Lauren, any idea what they're talking about?'

'Nope. And for the first time in my life, I think I may be the most normal person in a room with more than two people.'

'…Okay, here's an idea. There's no doubt Luci has been following along with the case and recognized how closely it fits the initial plot of _Death Note_ , and in the world of _Death Note_ , Light and Misa didn't meet up this early. In fact, if I recall correctly Misa sent out two more videos before the two of them made contact. We should use that to our advantage. If we play along and act as if you don't know me yet and are using the same strategy Misa did, followed by a third broadcast where we appear together and announce our alliance, then the Task Force will construct an approximate timeframe of when we met, which will be incompatible with the timeframe of when you and I, as in Christian Atarshimono and Lauren Blackheart met. So, what'ya think?'

'That sounds… like the dumbest idea I've heard since ignoring Dimina and taking the lift.'

'What?'

'Oh, just a funny thing that happened during my debut night...'

 **(M's POV)**

Wait, what? I'm making another appearance? Finally! I haven't gotten a sentence of screentime since, like, over a dozen chapters ago!

So, this is the part where I describe my surroundings, right? Okay, I'm in my New York headquarters, the clock on the wall says its around half past 8 in the morning, and through the floor-to-ceiling windows in here it appears the entire sky is covered in ominous cloud cover, which I'm fine with. Personally I like it when the sky looks like the world is going to end.

' _I'm a re-_ ' _*Beep*_

If there's one thing I miss about not being the leader of the mafia, it's the fact I'm no longer able to listen to any of my ringtones before picking up the call. That one was _Polaroid_ by _Imagine Dragons_ , by the way.

'Hello?'

' _The opportunity has arrived. Begin operation fifty-five._ '

With those words I immediately jump onto my desk and turn on my computer, quickly going through all the fingerprint, hand-print and retinal scans to start up the desktop.

'You have the target?'

' _Indeed. I'll send you the coordinates right now, along with the optimal times for the operation to commence._ ' I must say, for someone who I didn't even know existed before the start of February, this individual sure seems motivated.

After a few seconds I receive a file with a series of very precise coordinates written into it. Said numbers are a little different from what I expected them to be, but I'll trust that this person knows what they're doing, at least as far as targeting is concerned. As for actually pulling this off…

'Listen, are you sure about this? Once I send these orders to Chongjin there's no going back, and if anything goes wrong, all we'll succeed in doing is pissing off both Kiras.'

' _Hey, once I decide something, I move straight towards it. That's how I am. Besides, I can't think of any better chance we'll get to pull this off. Unless you're too busy with that "Covfefe" thing you're doing._ '

'Oh, no, that's not a problem, in fact I just came back from there yesterday. It's kinda funny, "they" still hired me even though my background check came with a warrant for my arrest. Of course, if they knew about what we're doing… well, let's just say that waterboarding at Guantanamo bay sounds really fun if you don't know what either of those two things are. But don't worry about that, there's no way they'll ever find out.'

' _I don't know. Sometimes you can be a wild card with your emotions. Mostly the emotion known as anger._ '

'And that's been a helpful trait more often than not. After all, it's led my family to victory in every war we've fought in since the American Civil Jihad. Listen, if I get started now, the fun should begin in about twelve hours. I may even have time to head down to Vegas to watch some of the fireworks. What matters is, no matter how great the defense, a stronger offense will break through eventually, and if this works we'll be one step closer to securing victory.'


	31. Duck and Cover

**Fun fact: I probably did more research writing this chapter than any other one so far. But first, as always, let's look at what AV had to say.**

 ** _'It's a different girl! She says she brought over your notebook!'_**

 ** _This would be a dead giveaway if Indy watched DN, which she... wait, did she watch it? Either way, it is dumb of Lauren to say that._**

 **Yes, indeed it is! But remember, Lauren has no idea that Indy knows anything about Chris being Kira, and while she'd certainly find out about Indy while researching Chris on the internet beforehand, all she'd find is the anti-Okatu side of Indy (for safety reasons Indy has kept quiet about her new interest in** ** _Death Note_** **, and only Tom and Katashi know about it). So I conclusion, Lauren would be left with a very strong impression that Indy hadn't ever seen** ** _Death Note_** **and has no interest in anything Otaku-related.**

 **And as for Haumea, Lauren probably wouldn't even bother researching her. After all, mothers are just side characters with very little plot potential… at least, that's what everyone assumes.**

 ** _"...as well as protect your computer from any enemy attempts to hack into or spy on it?"_**

 ** _All possible because I, Kira gets all its logic from Nichijou._**

 **At some point I'll probably have to expand more on what Tom specifically** ** _did_** **. Because I have a strong feeling you aren't forgetting about that any time soon.**

 ** _"...I can't help but feel torn on whether I should let her team up with me. On one hand, she seems highly intelligent and she is pretty hot..."_**

 ** _Back in chapter 20..._**

 ** _"Not that it affects my judgement, which is totally based purely on only strategic reasons alone."_**

 ** _such strategy_**

 ** _much reason_**

 ** _wow_**

 **Wow, how are you even making that comparison? These are two VERY different girls who Chris has VERY different opinions and thoughts about, in two VERY different situations that take place in two VERY different parts of Chris' era as Kira.**

 ** _'Let me put it to you this way. There was a time when most humans thought Africa and Eurasia were the only continents in existence, then you were proven wrong. There was a time when you thought Earth was the only planet in existence, then you were proven wrong. There was a time when you thought your solar system was the only one in existence, and then you were proven wrong, and so on. Yet you always continue to jump back to the conclusion that you've found the top level.'_**

 ** _She could have summed it up in two words: Copernican Principle._**

 **She could've, but that doesn't really sound dramatic enough.**

 ** _"...let's just say that waterboarding at Guantanamo bay sounds really fun if you don't know what either of those two things are."_**

 ** _I agree._**

 **Of all the things you could've mentioned from that scene, I'm kinda surprised you chose that.**

 **(Chris' POV)**

'…One more important thing I should mention. If one of us is ever caught by the police, or anyone else for that matter, as a suspect, we must never speak of the notebooks or anything else related to Kira. There's no evidence for them to use unless they seize the means of death.'

'"Seize the means of death", huh? That sounds like the most Stalinist catch-phrase ever.' Rugo comments, and Dimina nods in agreement.

'It's kind of ironic, you know, how the world's police forces are fighting us despite the fact we're all supposed to have the same basic enemy. In the new world I'm hoping to create, I want the police to work alongside me, not against me. Also, every police officer will be required to wear a go-pro like device that films everything they do on duty and releases all the footage to the public. No exceptions.'

'That's… actually not a bad idea. So, thinking back to our present situation, I assume it goes without saying that we should be in regular contact?' Lauren asks.

'Yes. At least once a week should be enough. It also goes without saying that when our next broadcast as the second Kira lists times and locations, we be sure to stay away from those places. That'll make it even harder for Luci to hold his suspicion against me.'

'Wait, how much "suspicion" does he have against you? How certain is he that you're Kira?'

'Last time I checked, forty percent. But that was back at the start of March, so it's anyone's guess what his thoughts are now. In any case, it's thanks to this small amount of suspicion towards me and some of my friends at school that I've been able to get close to Luci.'

'Like how L got close to Light?'

' _Exactly_ like that. Except he's only ever let me see two members of the Task Force, and that was only once. I don't even know where their headquarters is.'

'But you do regularly meet him, right?'

'Yes, he's enrolled at my high school under the alias of L Lawliet.'

'L Lawliet? Is that seriously all he could come up with? Well, I suppose it doesn't make much of a difference.'

'Wait, Chris, Lauren, let me just ask something. When you agreed to make it seem like the two Kiras are meeting each other in a timeframe incompatible to when you two do, did you mean you're going to make your knowledge of one another known to everyone before or after the Kiras do in the videos?'

'…That's a good question, Rugo. On one hand, if I suddenly have a new acquaintance and there's a change in how the two Kiras are acting, then we could both be suspected. It would be risky to reveal that we've suddenly become close to one another. On the other hand, the longer we keep our connection secret the more likely someone will-'

'Wait, what's this?' Lauren interrupts, reaching under my pillow and pulling out a familiar black object.

'…Wow, you have a gun?'

'Yes, I got it as a gift a while back, and until recently I just kept it hidden in the attic so the Task Force wouldn't find it. After all, you can never be too careful these days. And keeping a weapon close by at all times is a tactic that has been passed down through the Atarashimono family for generations. So, as I was saying, the longer we keep our connection secret, the more likely someone will find out and the whole plan will go down in flames. Either way it's a big risk, but either way we can't reveal anything until I've sorted out some… unfinished business.'

'And what the hell is that supposed to mean?'

'…There's a girl at my school who's kind of trapped me in a relationship with her, and despite my best efforts I haven't managed to break up with her yet. If you suddenly show up and we start spending time together before I do that, not only will it look unnatural from Luci's point of view, but I don't even know how _she_ would react… actually I know exactly how, and it ain't good.'

'Wait a second, you're saying you'll be dating another girl?' She hisses back.

'Temporarily, yeah.'

'NO WAY! I'm sorry, I may not like you or anything, but we are still Kiras, and she's just a… from the sounds of it, she's just a… nothing! There's no way I'll stand for you seeing her.'

'…Look, Lauren, this isn't a game. We're risking our lives to save the world, remember? Don't be a Misa.'

'…Yes, but… but… Dimina, back me up here!'

'Ha! Sorry sweetie, but you're on your own. Why should I have to be on your side?'

'So you're on HIS side?!'

'Oh, fuck no! I'm not on anyone's side! In fact, I couldn't care less who that son-of-a-bitch puts his reproductive organ into!'

'You're not much help.'

'No, I'm not. Although if I absolutely _had_ to pick a side, it'd be yours. Even without taking into account the fact he's talking about his girlfriend like a worthless subhuman subordinate, I still hate him with every inch of my being for the danger he's put Rugo in.'

'That's not a lot of inches.' I quietly-

 ***PUNCH* *KICK* *MORE PUNCHING***

…That was still worth it.

'Look, Chris, I know I'm not as intelligent as Misa, nor anywhere as beautiful-'

'Whoa, Lauren, stop right there.'

'Huh?'

'This may sound cliché and stereotypical, but I think you're one of the most beautiful women I've met in a really long time. Well, at least the most beautiful one who isn't a Yandere bitch.'

'You really think that?'

'Perhaps it could be a biased view since I'm not really into blondes at all, or any non-Japanese girls, but yeah, that's what I think.'

'...Bullshit. I bet you can't even come up with an original-sounding compliment for me.'

'Umm… err... you have a face.'

'…Close enough. By the way, I'm actually only half Japanese.'

'I'm three quarters. My mother's mother was from Europe. But such little details shouldn't make a difference.'

'…'

'…'

'…You know I'm still really mad at you about this "other girl" thing, right? Oh, and by the way, at some point we need to take you shopping. That shirt makes you look like a gay cowboy.'

 ***KNOCK KNOCK***

'…Chris, can I come in?'

'Sure, mum, what is it?'

'It's 11:20, so unless Lauren's planning on staying the night…'

'Yeah, we lost track of time.'

'We're sorry, Mrs. Atarshimono.'

'Oh, please, call me Haumea. "Mrs. Atarshimono" makes me sound old.'

I open the door to let Lauren out of the room first. At the doorway, we turn to one another one last time, our eyes shining into one another, before the girl turns to leave.

'Sorry for staying so late. Bye, Chris!'

'Bye, Lauren!'

…

…

'So, she seems nice.'

With that I feel my cheeks start going red again, and I sprint back into my room before mum can ask any questions.

'…Well, Chris, this has been a fun evening, right?'

'I suppose so, Rugo. But nobody should know yet that I saw her tonight. I just need to make sure mum and Indy don't tell anyone… but we've already agreed to meet again sometime really soon. I could try to get out of it, but that would probably only make things worse. I'll just have to hope we can cooperate with her. As for the Shinigami, well, I trust _her_ about as far as I can throw an aircraft carrier.'

'Listen, you may not like having Dimina around, but I do, and as a wise man I once knew said, you'll never reach your destination if you stop and throw stones at every dog that barks.'

'I'm not sure if that analogy works here. Still, very useful information she gave me about _Death Note_. Hmmm… and if we keep getting more Kiras I might need a bigger room.'

 **(Lauren's POV)**

As Dimina closes the door behind me and crawls onto the bunkbed, I reach for my pajamas and begin to get changed.

'You were awfully quiet on the way back, Lauren.'

'I was just… thinking about stuff.'

'And by "stuff" you mean Chris, obviously. Look, as much as I hate to say it, Rugo's stuck with him and I'm stuck with you, so it's also best for me for you two Kiras to get along. Leave the hating to me. You see what I'm saying?'

'Yes, and I'm certainly excited to work with him, but I'm a bit worried. How do I know he won't just use me as a pawn and dispose of me when I'm no longer needed? After all, he did say he has a girlfriend, so it isn't too unrealistic to think that all his compliments and kindness were-'

'Okay, you shut up and listen. In case you've forgotten, I'm over half a millennia old, and if you live long enough, you begin to see the same eyes in different people. What I saw back there were nothing more than the eyes of a man in love. Don't get me wrong. It's not like I trust him. If he betrays us I'll put him down without hesitation.'

'…You really think he's falling for me? How should I even… what do I do now?'

'Well, you know what they say. It takes only a second to get a crush on someone, a minute to like someone, and an hour to love someone, but it takes a lifetime to forget someone.'

'My dad once forgot me in a parking lot. Listen, Dimina, on the way home I realized something.'

'What?'

'...I was dead until the moment I touched that notebook. I was a powerless corpse pretending to be alive. Living without power, without the ability to change my course, was bound to lead me to a slow death.'

…

Tucking myself into bed I finish. 'By giving me the Death Note, you pretty much saved me. So, thank you.'

 **(Chris' POV)**

In an unfortunate development, I am now awake. And it's Monday morning, so… fuck.

Blinking several times, I sit up and proceed to flop out of bed and make my way down to the kitchen, where Indy and mum have already started exterminating the latter's pancakes.

'Mornin' Chris!'

'Good morning, Chris.'

'Hey, mum, Indy, do you think you could keep Lauren a secret for a while?'

'Sure.'

'And I mean with everyone. She's not allowed to visit anyone without her father's permission.'

'Oh, no wonder she was so cute. Good choice for a girlfriend, Chris! Certainly an upgrade from Kallet, at least.'

'Yes, your sister's probably right. I must say, you and Lauren remind me so much of your father and I when we first met.'

'G-Girlfriend? Where'd you get that idea? We… we just know each other, that's all.'

'The embarrassed look on your face says otherwise. Listen, bro, forty dollars and I'll keep my mouth shut.'

'Fine.'

( _A few hours later_ )

'Okay, here's one I came up with: So the UN attempted the largest survey of public opinion in its history. The question was:

"Please say honestly what you think of the shortage of food in the world as a whole."

The results couldn't've been more discouraging. The survey was a complete failure, because:

The Argentinians didn't understand the word "Please"

The Saudis had no idea what was meant by "Say honestly"

The Cubans couldn't interpret the phrase "What you think"

The Europeans were unfamiliar with the term "Shortage"

The Africans didn't know what "Food" was

And in the United States they are still debating what might be meant by "The world as a whole".'

'Heh, hehehehehe, that's a good one, Connor.'

'In other news, I hear Mike Pence wants to meet with video game developers about gun control. Perhaps next he'll consult Hot Wheels about road safety.' I hear from my left.

'…Lawliet, why are you sitting here?'

'Do I need a reason? By the way, does anyone know what's taking Mr Iesnes so long to get here? Granted, I hate math as much as you do, but I hate waiting around even more.'

'If you're going to sit with us, can you at least sit normally?'

'If I sit in any position other than this, my ability to put up with your bullshit goes down by 40 percent.'

I've noticed only ever sits like that around his main suspects. Perhaps he's trying to-

'Guys, you should come and see this!' Harry exclaims, bursting into the room with a noticeable sense of alarm in his voice.

Several students leave their seats and leave the room out of curiosity, including Luci.

'Maybe the Kira worshippers did some kind of mass shooting in the city. That wouldn't surprise me.'

The asshole's probably right. As much as I hate to say it, I _may_ have accidentally invented a religion by becoming Kira, so it wouldn't be hard to imagine something like this happening.

'No, guys, it sounds different!'

'Harry, what do you mean it "sounds different"?'

Connor and I join everyone else heading for the hallway, where at least a dozen people have gathered around a TV watching some kind of news report. As I look for a comfortable spot in the crowd, a familiar feminine hand grabs my arm, and I turn to see that a very cheerful Kallet has shown up too.

'Heeeey, Chris. So, I was thinking, maybe after school we could "hang out" at your place, like we did a few months back? Being a dream girl is exhausting, you know, and it's been so long since…'

Yeah, I really have to do something about her soon. There's no way she'll be able to coexist with Lauren. Focusing my attention back to the news anchorman I'm somewhat startled by the shocked, nervous look on his face.

' _Followed by… yes, followed by "flashes", blinding flashes. Sounds of explosions… we're, uh, trying to get confirmation…_ '

...What?

' _We seem to have lost contact with one of our stations in Tokyo… wait, we do have… we do have coming in, that's um, confirmed reports, I repeat, confirmed reports, of nuclear detonations in South Korea and Japan… my god…_ '

At that moment the screen switches to the "PLEASE STAND BY" thing, and I can sense multiple hearts pounding in shock, including my own.

…Well, to say that I'm fucked would be an understatement.

 **(Lauren's POV)**

So far I've had a pretty good morning. It turns out Tom has been doing some kind of big project with Chris' sister, so the latter has taken half her day off from her school in order to be shown around ours. It was a little awkward at first being introduced a second time, but it's comforting to know that she's fine with Chris and I meeting up whenever we want. And as we walk together on my way to my next class, I'm reminded of just how different it is to have someone to talk to, as opposed to silently going through the motions of school all alone. Of course, it kinda sucks that I can't talk to her about anything that could give away my identity as the second Kira.

'So, I was driving along with my boyfriend Katashi in the passenger seat next to me, when suddenly the car in front skidded and I had to brake. Before I knew it my hand was across him to stop him from flying forwards. He looked at me and told me he couldn't believe that my first thought would be to save him. I didn't have the heart to tell him that, as a former part-time pizza delivery driver, I've developed a reflex action to stop the pizzas flying off the seat whenever I emergency brake.'

'Haha! Well you-'

 ***ANNOYING REPEATING BUZZING/CRACKLING NOISES***

'That's a weird ringtone.'

'…That's not my ringtone.'

'Then what is-'

' _We interrupt your activities. This is a national emergency. Important details will follow._ '

Indy's phone is now displaying some capitalized white text on a black background, and it certainly doesn't sound very good.

 _EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM_

 _WE INTERRUPT YOUR ACTIVITIES. THIS IS A NATIONAL EMERGENCY. IMPORTANT INSTRUCTIONS WILL FOLLOW._

 _AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT ISSUED_

 _EMERGENCY WARNING_

Grabbing my phone out of my pocket I see it's displaying the same thing.

 ***REALLY LONG BEEPING***

' _This is an emergency action notification. All broadcast and cable systems will transmit this emergency action message. During this emergency most stations will stay on the air providing information to local areas. The following message is transmitted at the request of the Australian Government. A national emergency is in progress. A significant nuclear attack is currently taking place against Australia and several other nations. At 10:48 AM Sydney time, NORAD detected the launch of a large number of intercontinental ballistic missiles from multiple locations in North Korean territory. The missiles are all being tracked and the time of impact is expected in less than ten minutes. Current estimated targets civilian targets include, but may not be limited to…_ '

No.

No fucking way.

'Lauren, don't panic. The blast radius of North Korea's nuclear weapons is exceptionally small, and the probability of this school being caught in it is rather low. That being said, just in case, we need to get underground. Now!'

'I, I need to find Tom!'

'No, Lauren! …Lauren, get back here!'

As I make my way through the hallways and mentally map out which classroom my brother is in, I see the ominous message simultaneously displayed on nearly every screen I come across. And, as expected, people are starting to react.

This doesn't make any sense. I remember hearing back in March that the loyalists to the former North Korean regime wouldn't launch their nuclear weapons unless another one of their members died under suspicious circumstances, i.e. if Kira killed them. But at no point last night did Chris even bring up the topic, so… is he betraying me? Is this some really complicated assassination attempt of his? No, that wouldn't be possible. And even if it was, the very backbone of the Kiran ideology is saving innocent lives, and as such I highly doubt he'd intentionally do something that would create such vast amounts of collateral damage. Perhaps he didn't know about the loyalists' threat? No, if that were true he'd have tried to wipe them out months ago.

I finally arrive at Tom's computer studies classroom, which appears mostly empty at first until I see that many of the children are hiding under their desks.

'Everybody get under your desks to shield yourselves from debris!' One of the older-looking kids yells.

'No, you need to get on top of the desks so they don't collapse on top of you!' Another one disagrees.

'No, I think we get in the doorways, 'cause that's where the beams are strongest!' A third adds.

'I think that used to be good, but now it's bad!'

'How can something be good one day, then bad the next?!'

'Just… copy… me! Keep… jumping! If… you're… not… touching… the… ground… when… the… blast… hits, it… can't… affect… you!'

Yup, I am surrounded by a bunch of idiots.

'That's stupid, you have to play dead!'

'That's drop bears!'

'No, drop bears you punch in the nose!'

'That's sharks! With drop bears you have to make yourself as wide as possible!'

'No, that's what you do for crocodiles!'

'We need to tape up all the windows so the blast doesn't shatter them all over us!'

'No, that's for cyclones!'

'It's actually a myth about cyclones, you're never supposed to tape up the windows!'

'Well I'm pretty sure the nukes are more afraid of us than we are of them!'

'HAS ANYONE SEEN TOM?!' I finally shout.

'The white-haired kid? Yeah, he ran off looking for someone-'

'Everybody, remain calm, okay?! I know what to do!' A slightly older-looking boy interrupts.

'Well tell us!'

'Everybody put your phones in this bowl of rice!'

'What?! That's for an IPhone after it gets wet!'

As another argument begins to erupt I exit the classroom.

If Chris hasn't done anything, then perhaps someone in the loyalists' upper ranks died under non-Kiran circumstances, and their death was simply misinterpreted? Unlikely, but I certainly wouldn't rule out the possibility. Or perhaps those in command of their nuclear arsenals were being fed false information? If so, by who? Maybe-

'-Ow! Watch where you're going… oh, it's you. Indy and I have been looking for you!'

'I told you, Lauren, you shouldn't have just ran off like that.'

'Well I'm sorry, Indy, but shouldn't I have the right to look for my little brother and make sure he's safe at times like this?!'

'I found him first, so your point is invalid!'

'If you two have time to point fingers, then how 'bout using your heads to figure out what we should do now to avoid dying?' Tom calmly suggests.

'…Does this school have a basement or an underground storage room or something?'

'Yup. I'll lead the way.'

Half a minute later and we've reached at the maintenance stairwell. We-

 ***CRACK***

For a brief moment the ground violently shakes, and through the reflection on the doorknob I see the hallway windows fill with light.

'Get in! Now!'

The three of us glide down the stairs and arrive at the basement door, and I'm kind of surprised at how quiet-

 ***BOOM***

Okay, forget I said that. The next thing I know Indy has forcefully shoved Tom and I into the dark room, and is holding a wide manhole cover against the doorway like an oversized shield, holding back a wall of flame.

'STAY LOW, YOU TWO!' She screams, and I begin to hear a loud roaring sound coming through the room's ceiling.

'...Tom, are you allright?'

'Lauren, I… I looked at the explosion.'

'So?'

'Sister… too much light tends to blind people.'

'Wait, are you… can you… how many fingers am I holding up?!'

'…I can tell you're holding up a hand… three, maybe?'

'Oh my god…'

'LAUREN, I'M PRETTY SURE THAT KIND OF FLASH-BLINDNESS IS TEMPORARY, BUT I NEED YOUR HELP, I CAN'T HOLD THIS FOR MUCH LONGER!'

I immediately jump up to help Indy, who by now is using the full force of her weight to keep the cover from flying inwards.

'DO… NOT… DO NOT…'

What's she trying to say?

'DO NOT… GO… GENTLE… INTO… THAT… GOOD… NIGHT… AAARGH!'

 **(Chris' POV)**

Between the various collapsed buildings, Katashi pulls up in front of what was Holt High School, and the two of us jump out of the car.

'I saw the nuke fall about two hours ago, so if they're anywhere, they're still here.'

'I hope you're right… Lauren, please be okay…'

Carefully watching my step as I maneuver around broken glass and the charcoal-like remains of trees, I see him pointing to the two largest masses of debris, both of which have a few walls still standing.

'I'll check this building, you go check that one, we meet back here in fifteen minutes, okay?'

'Okay. Best of luck finding my sister!' I respond, beginning to do as told.

…Why would those psychopaths suicidally launch their nukes now, when I haven't even touched North Korea since January? It wouldn't be in their best interests, considering that the fact they hadn't launched any nukes was the very reason I was keeping them alive. They'd know what the consequences of this would be, and they still went ahead before I even laid a finger on them. So either one of the high-ranking officers in the loyalists was murdered via a heart attack from someone else, or those in charge of the faction's nuclear arsenal were being ordered by someone outside the loyalists. Either way, it was a third party who made them launch the nukes. And that's not all. Is it just a coincidence that they happened to launch the nukes the day after I met Lauren? I mean, it could be, but…

'HEEEEEY! IS SOMEONE THERE!?'

'Indy!?'

Climbing over a large pile of rubble I see her, guarding the bottom of what looks to be a staircase, surrounded by at least twenty other children and teenagers.

'Chris? What are you doing here?'

'Making sure you're okay, that's what! Why _wouldn't_ I be here?'

Behind me I hear, 'Hey Chris, I've found about a dozen survivors just by quickly… INDY!'

'KATASHI!'

'You're alive! You… are you fine?'

'Why would you ask me if I'm fine? Have you seen me? I'm fine as hell. I even managed to round up quite a few other survivors after things calmed down.'

'…Chris!'

'Lauren?'

'Why did… Fuck, it feels as though one of my ribs evaporated…' Looking down I see a large burnt-out hole in her shirt slightly above the waist, and a vast burn mark on the skin underneath.

'Lauren, holy shit. I…' I finish my sentence quiet enough for only her to hear. 'I didn't do anything. It wasn't me.'

'I know. And don't worry, it may look really bad but it doesn't hurt too much. At least I wasn't blinded like Tom.'

'PARTIALLY BLINDED!' The albino boy corrects, and upon seeing me I notice a sudden malicious smile appear and disappear over his face.

Wait, why would he-

'I must say, I really like how you always show up right _after_ these things happen… Onomihsarata.'

WAIT WHAT?! Did he just say that out loud, right next to… Tom, you idiot!

'Hehehehe, well you weren't going to tell her and someone had to say it. You'll thank me later.'

…

…

Tom, the second I get my-

'Atarshimono. Onomihsarata. I… how didn't I see this before? Your voice, your face, the expression you made when I told you about what happened… it _was_ you.'

'Yes, sister, we've been keeping it secret for a while now, but that unnamed child, the one that saved our lives all those years ago, was Chris.'

'And you knew about this?!'

'Yup. Never found a good time to mention it to you. And my vision's still gone to shit, so disappointedly starting at me won't work.'

And just to put the icing on the cake, the female Levi demon has shown up.

'So Lauren, now that you know that the two anonymous individuals you idolize are the same person, what are you gonna do now?'

'…Chris, can I talk to you in private for a second?'

'Uh, sure.'

As the girl leads me away from the group and around to the other side of the collapsed structure, I see Dimina jump up and hug Rugo. It seems all that Shinigami even _does_ is hug things. And beat the shit out of things.

'Okay, we should be far enough now.'

'So, what did you want to talk about?'

'Onomihsarata, Kira, Chris. I apologize in advance.'

'Apologize for wha-'

 ***SLAP***

'-Ah what the fuck?!'

'YEAH, SENPAI, WHAT THE FUCK?! WHY THE HELL DID YOU KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT WHEN I TOLD YOU ABOUT THE TIME YOU SAVED MY LIFE?! WHY THE FUCK DIDN'T YOU JUST TELL ME IT WAS YOU?! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MUCH TIME AND EFFORT I HAVE PUT INTO PLANNING TO FIND THAT BOY, OR HOW STRESSFUL IT WAS FOR ME TO TELL YOU A STORY _THAT IT TURNS OUT YOU ALREADY KNEW THE ENDING TO ALL ALONG_ , BECAUSE YOU WERE FUCKING THERE?! AND AFTER WE FIRST MET, I EVEN THOUGHT ABOUT KILLING YOU! HOW DO YOU THINK I'D FEEL IF I WENT AHEAD WITH THAT, ONLY TO FIND OUT LATER THAT I FUCKING MURDERED THE GUY WHO KEPT A BULLET OUT OF MY SKULL TWO YEARS AGO!?'

'Lauren, can you throw your tantrum at him a bit quieter? I think someone may have heard you. And, hey, if you think _he's_ made a big mistake, just remember that in 1788 the Austrian army attacked itself and lost 10,000 men.'

'…Wait, seriously?'

'Yeah, in fact I was there. It was pretty hilarious.'

 **(Luci's POV)**

I have no idea what Kira's response video to this is going to be like, no doubt he's as surprised as we are, but I'm certain that there'll be one, and it's far too big a risk to let it broadcast. Our best hope is to prevent it from reaching the studio in the first place.

Through the cameras on all their helmets, Pearl and I watch as Nigel leads a small stealth team consisting of himself, Moorga, Aivenawa, Mungalo and Okada to the now-famous _Tomorrow's Today Tonight_ station. Upon arrival, the chief shows his badge, obviously displaying his fake ID.

'Oh, we were expecting you. Please, take the lift to the seventh floor, it's in studio G-6.' The receptionist kindly says, pointing to the door. Okada and Mungalo stay to guard the ground floor while the others enter the lift. No-one's talking, and even their steps are hushed, as if they're expecting Kira to jump from behind a potted flower or something.

There's one thing I still don't understand about all of this. Information is still pretty shaky, but it appears that all warheads with a currently-known "ground zero" detonated within six kilometers of their probable targets. Yet the one that hit Sydney, well… so far the only publicly available information on Kira's whereabouts is that he was in Sydney at the time of my first confrontation with him last year. By that logic, the location in Sydney that would maximize the chances of killing Kira would be point with the highest population density, however that's over a dozen kilometers from ground zero. If the loyalists had the information we do, they may have targeted Forbes High School, or one of the suspect's homes, but all of those are even further away, with the exception of Alexander Rockley's residence, which was almost directly under the epicenter. So that leaves me with three possibilities. Either Alexander Rockley was Kira (which I highly doubt), the missile aimed at Sydney was the only one out of dozens to have faulty targeting, or someone involved with the loyalists knows something I don't.

Nigel knocks on the studio door, and the director appears.

'Welcome! Can I help you?'

'We've been led to believe that you-'

'-May have received another message sent by Kira, yes we did! And who might you be?'

Shit, we weren't fast enough.

'We're the police. We need to see the message.'

'Of course!' The man joyfully answers, reaching into a drawer and taking out a small USB stick. 'Also, in the envelope Kira mentioned that if the video isn't aired by TTT at the specified time, or edited in any way, well, he's basically giving the same threat as the second Kira did. Also, he suggested that I show it to you first, before broadcasting it later. If you'll allow me…'

He grabs a remote and turns on a large monitor mounted at the back of the room, and back here I lean forward in anticipation.

*BEEP*

' _…_ _Hello again. I am Kira. Today, at 11:09AM local time, the Sydney suburb of Killara, like dozens of other locations in multiple countries, was hit with a nuclear warhead launched by the North Korean loyalists, the faction who stayed loyal to the former regime after I had wiped out the Kim family and its line of succession. Yes, the rumors are true, it was I who killed Kim and his high-ranking officers, generals and so on. What I could not have predicted was that the loyalists would hold control over the nation's nuclear arsenal, and that they would suicidally launch everything despite the fact that they knew for certain would invoke an immediate response both from the United States with the launch of multiple SLBM warheads, and from myself with the full force of my power being used against the loyalists' chain of command._ '

There's no way this isn't Kira. Technically I'm hearing this filtered through the microphones on the cannon fodder's helmets, but even still, Kira's voice sounds exactly the same, and the individual's height and width don't appear to have visibly changed since last time. So this must mean that either the "Kira" that's been shown on TV up until now was merely a representative or stunt double (which is unlikely), or Kira's alive, and as such my first theory is incorrect.

' _Exactly what caused the attack to take place is not known to me at this time, but from information I have collected over the last few hours it appears that across South Korea, Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom and Israel, hundreds of thousands of innocents have lost their lives. The death toll from America's retaliatory strike is currently unknown. As for myself, I am relieved to say that initial reports of my death were greatly exaggerated, however the current state of the second Kira is unknown. In the event that it becomes apparent that he or she was killed, I will continue to do as I have done before they made their appearance, and focus all my time and resources back onto my battle against the one who calls himself L._

 _Personally, I was doubtful about coexisting with the second Kira from the beginning. Additionally, I found it extremely disrespectful that the new Kira claimed that those who publicly criticize us Kiras in the media would receive some kind of punishment. If he or she is alive and still truly wishes to work together with me, then that statement must be retracted and apologized for at the earliest possible opportunity. Granted, I may not like the constant bombardment of hatred I receive from all sides of the media, however it is a small price to pay for the people of the world to one day have a complete right to free and uncensored speech._

 _Oh, and one more thing. Today is the third of July, which means that tomorrow, millions of Americans will celebrate earning their independence from an oppressive government. Just a reminder to their current regime who, among other things, allowed this to happen… there's plenty of room on the calendar for another holiday. Remember, people, true patriotism means to stand by the country. It does not mean to stand by the head of state, government or any other individual. The world is changing, and soon that fact will become vital knowledge._

 _And with that, I give my best wishes to all those who have been affected by this tragedy, and hope that we all successfully recover, rebuild and prevent this from ever happening again._ '

…I am so fucked.


	32. FHS

**First, I'd like to start with a major announcement. For nearly a year now, my method of writing** _ **I, Kira**_ **has revolved around the idea that each chapter chronologically takes place after I upload it, usually one or two days after. However, for various reasons, I have finally decided to end this way of planning things. From now on, I won't try to set each chapter after (or even near) when they're uploaded, meaning that the story can be more chronologically fast-paced and also a bit more realistic. It also means that when something interesting happens in the world in real life, I'll have time to integrate it into the story.**

 **The main downside is that there's going to be a rapidly-growing divide between the present day in** _ **I, Kira**_ **and the present day in real life, however I doubt that'll bother anyone. After all, there's going to be a whole** **arc set in** ██████████ **, so this was** **going to happen anyway. The second downside is that it'll be a bit less clear exactly when each scene takes place. I'm currently playing around with the idea of putting a timestamp at the start of each scene, but I'm leaning against it. Either way, you can always check the official** _ **I, Kira**_ **timeline on the Death Note Fanon Wikia. Oh, and if you want to see even more** _ **I, Kira**_ **content, check out the** _ **私は、キラ**_ **board on my Pinterest account,** _ **Chris F**_ **.**

 **So, one and a half months. Since this has been the longest gap between chapters ever, I think you all deserve an explanation as to why. Well, it was kind of a "perfect storm" of multiple factors. The first reason is that I have had a lot of large assignments to complete. The second is that for a few weeks my parents tried to "crack down" on my time management, but luckily they did not succeed. The third reason is that for a few days now I have been extremely sick and unable to be very productive. Finally there if s fourth reason, and here's five words I never thought I'd say here: I have a girlfriend now. She's actually really excited about reading** _ **I, Kira**_ **once she's done watching** _ **Death Note**_ **, so that's cool.**

 **Now that that's out of the way, what does AV have to say?**

 _ ***ALL THAT NUCLEAR DETONATION SHIT***_

 _ **Wow, this WW3 arc is going to be interesting!**_

 **Okay, two things here. First, it isn't an arc. It starts and ends within a single chapter. And in the simulated scenario I ended** **up using, the total time** **between** **the launch of the North Korean missiles (10:45AM Sydney time) and the final W88 warhead hitting North Korean soil (11:25AM Sydney time) is only 40 minutes.**

 **And I certainly wouldn't call it a "world war". Even if we include the North Korean civil war beforehand, only 8 countries (China, the Koreas, Japan, Australia, the UK, the US and Israel) got involved at all, and in my simulations the combined kill count stands at 2.4 million, only 862,000 of which weren't North Korean. For comparison, the war in Vietnam directly involved 12 nations and had a final kill-count of between 1.3 and 4.2 million. Of course, Vietnam happened over the course of nearly two decades, as opposed to 168 days of civil war followed by 40 minutes of nuclear warfare. So it would have more of a "sudden shock" effect, kind of like a Super-9/11.**

 **Finally, shoutout to jogonzaleza88 for favouriting** _ **私は、キラ**_ _ **/ I, Kira**_ **.**

 **(Luci's POV)**

'Luci, can I talk to you for a minute?'

Closing my laptop lid I swivel around and see Pearl peeking through the doorway. It isn't unusual for her to arrive this early, although the excited look on her face makes me somewhat curious.

'…Sure. I'm just reviewing some of the news from what was once North Korea. This has certainly been one really fucked up week.'

'Yes, about that, I think I know how we can use it to our advantage.'

'What do you mean?'

'Well, it's becoming pretty obvious that your infiltration of Forbes High School isn't going as planned…'

'Hey, if you think _I'm_ being lazy here, just remember that the ancient Greeks believed their gods lived at the top of a very climbable hill but no one ever bothered to check. In any case, I highly doubt you can criticize me for having my hands full this week.'

'That's not what I'm saying. What I think we need is to have more eyes and ears in the school, more boots on the ground, so to speak.'

'How is that related to this?'

'Well, you know that the chief has two kids? Their high school was less than a mile from ground zero. It appears that they, along with the other survivors, are temporarily attending a transfer school, and soon they'll be going to another high school in the greater Sydney area.'

'…You're suggesting I use them as pawns.'

'Yes. Information on the two is hard to find, but it appears that they're loyal to their father and to ANPA, and that they support the fight against Kira. Additionally, the older of the two is in the same grade as our three remaining suspects, and the younger one is extremely talented with advanced computer technology and likes to share his skills with others. I mean, not even _I_ could get into either of their home computers!'

'That all sounds good, there's just one tiny little problem.'

'Yes?'

'I mean, this isn't that big of a deal but HOW THE ACTUAL FUCK ARE WE GOING TO CONVINCE CHIEF BLACKHEART TO SEND HIS CHILDREN TO KIRA'S SCHOOL?!'

'Woah, there, you don't have to be so loud, and you certainly don't have to sound so emotional about it! …I guess we could trick him into thinking you'll keep them safe like some kind of bodyguard. Or we could emphasize that Kira has never killed anyone innocent, let alone anyone from his own school.'

'…Well, it's worth a try. By the way, if you ever tell anyone that I have emotions I'll kill you.'

 **(Chris' POV)**

Okay, she'll be here any minute now, let's see if I have everything here… Ice-cream, movies, board games, snacks, popcorn, pizza, anime… shit, I forgot to get any drinks!

I shoot out of my room and down the stairs, before realizing I left my wallet on my desk.

'Hey, mum, can I borrow some money for coke?'

'Sure… is $60 enough?'

'Mum, it's like one dollar.'

'Wow seriously? Prices sure have dropped a lot from when I was your age. Of course, I never used it myself, I only know-'

'Wait, are you sure we're talking about the same thing?'

'…'

'…'

'…Oh, you meant the drink! My bad. Well, either way it's better than just sitting on that computer all day.'

'Mum, I sit on a chair.'

'…Here's a dollar. Be quick.'

Placing the coin in my pocket I accelerate out the door, and Rugo follows behind.

'You know, Chris, it's ridiculous that some people are like "Coca Cola supports racial equality, I'm not drinking coke anymore" and "Google supports gay rights I'm not using Google anymore". I mean, what next, "The atmosphere provides oxygen to ethnic minorities so I'm going to stop breathing in protest"?'

'Hopefully.'

A few minutes later I burst back through the door with a large bottle of the aforementioned liquid.

'Mum, what time is it?'

'There's a clock right there.'

'Did I ask you where the clock was?!'

'Don't worry, Lauren hasn't shown up yet. But when she shows up, be a gentleman and treat her well, as that's the kind of behavior that makes me happier than anything else.'

'And what about my happiness, mother?'

'…'

'Well?'

'Oh, was that not rhetorical?'

 ***KNOCK KNOCK***

'…I'll go make tea for you two.'

'Oh, nah, you don't have to.'

'Please, I insist. It's the least I can do.'

 ***KNOCK KNOCK***

Opening the door, I gesture for Lauren to enter.

'Listen, Chris, there's something really urgent I need to tell you.'

'Yes?'

'Today, my father announced that my brother and I… are being transferred to your school.'

'…Seriously?'

'Yup. Although something about the way he announced it certainly sounded suspicious, so-'

Mum returns from the other room, holding a tray with two small cups of tea on it.

'Oh, you two are still here? I thought you'd be upstairs already.'

'Mum! Great news!'

'You got over 80% in the English test you did two days ago?!'

'Mum, I said I have great news, not a Christmas miracle.'

'Well then what is it?'

'Lauren's coming to my school.'

'Oh, really? Well that's wonderful! This is only the third time she's come over here, but from your enthusiasm I see you two are already getting along well.'

Enthusiasm? …Fuck, I shouldn't have-

'Don't worry, so long as you kids are only doing homework and things I won't interrupt.'

'Okay, sure.'

Without another word Lauren, myself and our Shinigami ascend up the stairs and into my room, and the second Kira once again drops herself onto my bed with all the gracefulness of a baby seal.

'Okay, Chris, first things first. Any new information regarding the nuclear exchange?'

'Putting all the evidence I've accumulated together, my best guess is that someone outside of the loyalists made some allies within the faction shortly after the fall of the Kim regime, and after somehow finding out about us making contact, made an attempt on your life. But the real question is, who would do that? It would have to be someone who was in close proximity to North Korea when the civil war began, someone who's rich and powerful enough to pull off such an operation but not enough to upgrade the targeting on the missiles, and someone who would have a reason to kill you without having one to kill myself. Who could it possibly be? My best guess is that it's someone who thinks you have the shinigami eyes, but at this point I have no idea. If there's any good news, it's that South Korea is acting exactly as I told them to in this scenario as specified by the message I sent to them back in December.'

'Oh, right, I remember you told me about all that during our meeting on Thursday. So what did you tell them to do?'

'Basically, with American assistance they've occupied the entirety of North Korea, and within a few months they'll have finished annexing it. Speaking of annexing, I'm glad Russia and Belarus are finally back together, as I had hoped, and I've also heard that some kind of "East African Federation" is about to form after years of failed attempts, no doubt helped by the newly-found stability I've brought to the region. Hey, that reminds me, I've been planning to do a second wave of one-way diplomacy soon, maybe you could come along with Rugo and I?'

'Sure, sounds fun… So, now that that's out of the way, what'ya wanna do now?'

'Well, I got us some movies, some board games, snacks, Pizza-'

'YOU GOT PIZZA?!'

'Yes, Dimina, I got Pizza. As for what movies I have here, let's see… I have all the _Star Wars_ , Marvel Cinematic Universe, _Hunger Games_ , _Jurassic Park/World_ and _Harry Potter_ movies… oh, and this one's about America's first mass murderer.'

'You mean Christopher Columbus?'

'Hey, Chris, aren't you going to give her the watch?'

'Oh, right. Thanks for reminding me, Rugo.' I pull a cardboard box out from under my desk and open it up to show Lauren the aforementioned item. 'Here, this is a modified Apple Watch containing a 10-watt concentrated laser and a small compartment with a miniature pen and a piece of paper from my Death Note. You should wear it at all times, just in case. It also has a radio-operated distress beacon, so if you're ever kidnapped or anything just push the little button here and I'll instantly find where you are.'

'…You made that for me? Cool! With stuff like this there's no way we can lose!'

'Well, either way I can't die because I'm the main character.'

'I'm sure Light thought the same thing.'

'SHUT UP DIM-'

'I'm only saying that he was unrealistically optimistic. Aside from that, I almost admire the guy. For a bit over 6 years, Kira was a permanent fixture in that world. And in those 74 months, global crime rates dropped 70%, all wars and terrorist attacks stopped and criminal organizations around the world collapsed into complete ruin. He may not have won, but he proved that the dream of Kira is a real possibility. I saw it all with my own eyes, from the safety of the Shinigami world of course.'

Another familiar voice interrupts from the other side of the door.

'You two certainly don't sound like you're doing homework in there.'

'Mum, what's doing homework even supposed to sound like?'

'Crying, mostly. In any case, Chris, you know what day it is. Now get downstairs and start cooking!'

'What's she talking about?' Lauren asks.

'I have to make dinner on Tuesdays. Officially Indy is supposed to help, but she's always away somewhere with her boyfriend.'

'I'll help.'

'No, I don't think my mum would allow tha-'

'I would, Chris. Now, go show your girl how it's done!'

This is going to be embarrassing.

Sliding down the stairs, I hear mum grab her car keys.

'I'm going out to pick up your sister from Katashi's, try not to burn the house down while I'm gone.'

'We'll do our best!'

…

…

'I say we make Pizza!'

'Dimina, we already have Pizza upstairs… okay, based on what's in the pantry, I say we do a meat-curry combination. Lauren, you open up the powder and pour it in a bowl. I'll try to figure out what type of meat this stuff in the fridge is.'

'Okay!

…Uhh…

…Errgh! Why is it that a zombie can open a man's ribcage, but when I'm alive I struggle with a bag of curry powder?'

'That's actually your brain, stopping your body from using its full strength for every task so as to not horribly injure yourself. For example, the human mouth has enough bite force to cleanly go through a finger like it was a carrot stick, but our higher brain tells us not to do that. But theoretically once infected with a zombie virus the higher functioning part of your brain turns off and the only important need is that to feed, even at the cost of the zombie's body. Here, let me open that for you…

…Uhh…

…Errgh!'

'Oh for fuck's sake!' Dimina exclaims, snatching the bag out of my hands and opening it with ease like the show-off she is. 'Now, for this I think you'll need extra flavoring, preferably spices of some kind.'

'Oh, well that's right up here in the pantry…'

'…'

'…'

'…'

'…well they were certainly here earlier. I think.'

'If you had any brains, you'd do what I do.'

'And that is?'

'I keep important stuff next to things I know will never be lost.'

'Good idea, Dimina! I'll start keeping the spices next to your virginity.'

'…Christian Atarashimono, if I were you I'd run.'

'Totally worth it.' I say, sprinting off.

( _Thirty minutes later_ )

'…Well, that was exhausting.'

'You should've used our help more.'

'But that would be too easy, and I never back down to a challenge. For example, remember that time we were at the park when it was below freezing and you dared me to lick the swing set?'

'No. I said "Chris, don't lick the swing set!" and you said "don't tell me what to do, Rugo".'

'Well, I guess you can have your own opinion on what happened.'

'You are literally too stupid to insult.'

'Thank you!'

'You think you should taste-test it before your mum comes back?' Lauren suggests.

'Errrr…'

'Fine, I'll do it.'

'…'

'…'

'…'

'…'

'…Well?'

'Taste doesn't really matter. It's full of nutrients.'

'That's what she-'

'KIDS, I'M BACK!'

'Oh, hey mum. Look, we made a beef curry!'

'Well next time why don't you just stab me in the chest with a spatula?! You've never even tried that before!'

'You should at least give it a chance.'

'Oh, I will. But first, you set out the plates and cutlery for everyone.'

'Fine, mum.'

I slide two plates onto each arm and carry them out to the table as mum pulls off a tiny piece of the dish with her fork.

Unnecessary insults beginning in five… four… three… two… on-

'Chris, what on Earth have you done?! You've used so much oil, the United States might try to invade the dish! The beef looks so rare, I could capture it with a masterball! The flavoring is so poorly prepped, EA could publish it! And that's only what I can tell from just looking at the thing!'

( _Fifteen minutes later_ )

'Y'know, I am way too young to have this many embarrassing memories.'

'As a man I once knew said: All men make mistakes, but only wise men learn from their mistakes.'

'And who said that, Rugo?'

'He… he was just a guy I talked to a couple times when I was a kid.'

'So, I guess we don't have anything important left to discuss, so, what movie do you want to put on?' Lauren Inquires.

'I'll let you pick one at random.'

'Okay.' Closing her eyes she reaches in and grabs one of the DVD cases. 'This one.'

'The first _Harry Potter_ movie? Okay, sure.'

'Hey, here's something I've always wanted to know: How come nobody got pregnant at Hogwarts? I mean come on, surely there was some unprotected you-know-what going on in there.'

'They probably just used wizardry.'

'What, like they just take out their wand and shout "Fetus Deletus!"?'

( _One surprisingly uneventful night later_ )

As I reach the school's entrance I drop my bag next to me and lean on the wall.

…It's 8:12. Class will be starting in less than twenty minutes.

'Mornin' Chris!'

'Oh, mornin' Connor.'

'Are you looking forward to meeting the refugees from Holt High School?'

'I actually already know two of them, one of which is in our year.'

'Is it a guy or a girl?'

'She's a girl, and she's pretty hot.'

'…Oh. So, how do you know her?'

'Oh, we actually met the day before the nukes fell. It was certainly an interesting evening.'

'Heh, well I won't push for specifics there. So, there's something else I wanted to mention.'

'Yeah?'

'Last night I had a dream that I was a dermatologist. Any thoughts on that?'

'Yes, your dreams are boring as fuck.'

'Also, I want your advice with something, it's about the school play at the end of the year.'

'You need help practicing your role or something? I'll admit, Ryuk sure does have a lot of lines in the script so I understand if-'

'Oh, no, it's not that, it's just about the Shinigami's voice. How do I make it sound, for example, like my voice is beinf filtered through a tin?'

'Well you, you get a tin, and you talk into it. I'm sorry but I don't have any better ideas than that.'

'Hey guys!'

'Hi Harry.'

'So, what'cha talkin' about?'

'Just how to make my voice sound more Ryuk-ish for my role in the play.' Connor answers.

'I think I once heard there's some drug that can temporarily change your voice. You could try that.'

'Harry, winners don't use drugs. Except steroids, in which case, use lots of drugs!'

Looking into the approaching crowd I see a familiar beautiful face, who soon locks eyes onto mine and starts running toward me.

'CHRIS!'

'Oh, who's that? A new girlfriend or something?'

'He told me she went to the school that got nuked. He's probably already slept with her.'

'WAIT WHAT?! Where'd you get that idea Connor?! We just watched some movies, made popcorn, had a nerf gun war, ate pizza, played video games, made a fort out of blankets, the usual stuff. Why does everyone have to sexualize everything these days?'

'…'

'Hey Chris! So this is your school?'

'Yup, welcome to Forbes High School! Lauren, these are my friends Connor and Harry-'

'Good morning, Lauren Blackheart. My name is L Lawliet, and I'll be showing you around the school today.'

Wait what? Where'd he come from?

'N-no, don't worry, I can find my own way around.'

'Please, I insist.'

That explains it. Her father is the chief of ANPA, so the only way he'd let her be transferred here is…

Oh, Luci.

You unfortunate son of a bitch.

'Don't try to pressure her, Lawliet. If she wants someone else to introduce her to everyone, she should be able to-'

'Oh, fuck it, fine. You know, I'm sort of curious what your last straw is going to be.' He angrily concludes, stomping off into the building.

'…So, Connor, Harry, she's the latest addition to our grade, why don't you two ask some questions for her?'

'Okay. What's your favorite mythical creature?'

'Uh, someone on Tumblr who isn't oppressed.'

'Is there a place you haven't been that you really want to travel to?'

'Any place the word "covfefe" is banned, I hate that word. Also Spain.'

'Do you think that Ireland is a land full of swearing leprechauns?'

'No, that's actually very offensive. You're thinking of Boston.'

'What's the main thing you think a guy looks for in a girl?'

'Availability.'

'What's the most random piece of advice you can give right now?'

'Never buy anything with Velcro. It's a total rip-off.'

'What's a fun science fact you've learned recently?'

'If you removed all the veins, arteries and capillaries from your body and laid them end-to-end, you'd die.'

I briefly glimpse my watch. It's 8:25.

'Okay, guys, we need to get to class.'

'Oh, right. Chris, here's my schedule, can you show me where my first class is?'

…It's almost an exact copy of mine, but an even more exact copy of Luci's. How predictable of him.

'It appears Connor and I have the same math class as you, so we can walk there together.'

As the three (five if you include shinigami) of us make our way over to the math classrooms, I'm too busy thinking about things to talk much, but the other two seem to be getting along already.

'I think you'll like it here, Lauren. You already seem to have a friend here, and a cute one at that. And-'

'Connor, what did you just say?!'

'…I didn't say anything. Oh, right here we're passing by the library, where losers like us sometimes hang out. I mean, think about the concept of a library. That's one thing that humanity didn't fuck up, we did a good thing when we invented libraries. By the way, Chris, have you heard what's happened over in Japan?'

'With the royal family? Yeah. Now that princes Naruhito and Fumihito are confirmed to have been killed in the attacks, it looks like Hisahito is going to be the next in line to the Chrysanthemum Throne.'

'But isn't he, like, ten?'

'The Japanese monarchy is more of a symbolic position nowadays, much like that of the UK. So I don't see why they can't put a kid on the throne.'

As we finally enter the classroom, I take my usual seat at the back next to the window, and without a word Lauren sits at the seat next to me. The room is only half-full as always, so there's no competition for seats.

'Okay children, get out your books and everything, let's start the day with a few basic problems. What is (sqrt25)x if x=sqrt4? Come on children, don't be shy, just give it your best shot. Yes, Connor?'

'Twelve?'

'Okay, now let's try to get an answer from someone who's not a complete retard.'

This is great. With both Kiras taking the same classes at the same school, there's nothing that can stop us now. I've won. Exactly as-

 ***KNOCK KNOCK***

'Oh, come in!'

…Shit. Fuck. I did not take this into account.

'Hey, sorry I'm late!'

As the girl who needs no introduction cheerfully turns to her seat, her face suddenly goes cold when she sees Lauren making herself comfortable there.

'…Who the fuck are you?'

'Who the fuck are you?'

'I asked you first!'

'I asked you second!'

Kallet. Fucking. Vimerica. This is going to be a long week.

 **(Tom's POV)**

I'll be honest, I'm a bit nervous about this school. Like, a lot nervous. I only know three people here, four if you include Lauren, and not one of them is in my grade. Luckily, no-one has pressured me into introducing myself or anything… yet.

As I enter the library I catch a glimpse of Katashi, Indy's boyfriend, and I stealthily approach his chair and peek over his shoulder, to see him typing up various numbers and things on a laptop in some kind of text box, positioned next to what appear to be blueprints or schematics.

'Is that the super-plane thing you mentioned the other day?'

'Eh? Oh, it's you. Yup. The SR-71, also known as the Blackbird.'

'Never heard of it.'

'Never heard of the SR-71? It's the 'ship that made the Kyushu run in 12 minutes! One of the fastest, most badass aircraft ever built in the 20th century, this thing could easily hold speeds in excess of Mach 3, and could fly at altitudes of nearly thirty kilometers. Once the engines are replaced with more advanced scramjets, both those numbers can go up even further. Indy's working on the weapons systems, and while she hasn't shown me any of it yet, I look forward to seeing how she wants to arm this beauty… here, a copy of everything's on this USB, I'll let you borrow it. The folder should be there, right between "not illegal music" and "not illegal movies".'

'Oh, thanks.'

Placing the rectangular object in my shirt pocket, I swiftly leave the library and locate my school bag-

'Hey, you!'

I jolt up and spin around, stumbling backwards slightly to see a girl standing in the hallway. She's the same height as me, and her white hair and blue eyes match my own, which is something I've never seen in someone else before. In addition to that, she's actually rather beautiful.

'Uhh, hi.'

Extending her hand to shake mine, the girl replies.

'Alicia Summer. Most people call me Alice.'

'Thomas Blackheart. Most people call me Tom.'

'My older brother's best friend told him to tell me to show around the new students in our grade, so…'

'Oh, okay, sure.'

Swinging my school bag over my back, I see several large test tubes sticking out of hers.

'So, what's in those?'

Without hesitation she reaches in and shows me a tube, containing a small black spider with a red stripe on its back.

'See this little guy? Looks harmless right? Well you would be pretty damn wrong to think that, this tiny little bugger is 7 times more venomous than a black widow.'

Before I can react she pulls out another one.

'And this is the Asian Giant Hornet. About the size of a human thumb, its sting contains flesh dissolving acid which alerts other wasps to sting the victim until he or she dies. Sounds custom-made for a supervillain.'

'…I'm afraid to ask what you're planning.'

'Haha, don't worry, it's for biology club. Wait, I just realized… I apologize for asking, but how close were you when the bomb hit?'

'A bit over a mile.'

'Oh, and did you get any of the radiation?'

'Yeah, about 1800 milisiverts. Why do you ask?'

With a slightly creepy smile she opens up her bag. 'It's just… I've never had a chance to analyze irradiated cells before.'

'What do you- GAH!'

'Oh, calm down. You won't feel a thing, and all I want is a bit of blood.'

…

…

Well, she _is_ really cute, so…

'Go ahead… you know, I never had a "biology club" back at my school.'

'Yeah, well, it isn't exactly where the popular kids hang out. So I suppose I fit in rather well there. To be honest, I wouldn't even date myself.'

'…Your standards must be impossibly high, then.'

'Wut?'

'Oh, I misspoke. I meant to say that-'

Removing the needle, she looks up with a vibe of curiosity. 'Tom, what's your first thought when you see me?'

'You look pretty.'

'What'd you say?'

'Uh, I said you look shitty. See you later Alice!'

Embarrassed, I run off… AAAAH WHY CAN'T I JUST TALK TO GIRLS NORMALLY!? I'M-

'No, I doubt it. If one of them is going to die, I doubt it will be her.'

Who said that?

'So, how are things back in our world? That boyfriend of yours, how's he doing?'

Is that Dimina, my sister's shinigami? Indy managed to retrieve a fragment of Lauren's Death Note the second time she met up with Chris, and now she, Katashi and myself can see and hear the female god of death.

'…Holy shit. That almost sounds like something Atarashimono would do! So, then what?'

Who's she talking to? After a few seconds I triangulate her voice to one of the large ventilation pipes, and remembering the locations for the ventilation system's openings (which Indy told me yesterday), I jump into the nearest one when no-one is looking, and a minute later I see the red-haired entity lying down, staring at the "ceiling" less than half a meter above her head.

'…Wait, does that mean you're in charge now? … Cool. I'm almost jealous of you. Just remember, as your sister I'm going to insist that you don't do anything too irrational.'

Is there another Shinigami I can't see? No, then there'd have to be another notebook user, which there doesn't appear to be. So… what's going on?

'…What? How do you plan to do that?'

As interesting as this is, I have to get to class. Finding my way back to the opening I entered I stumble back into the hallway as Indy is passing by.

'Hey, Tom, how's it going?'

'Listen… let's say, hypothetically, that there's a girl that I-'

'Alicia Summer. I figured you'd get a crush on her.'

'So… how can I get her to like me?'

'Well you know how everyone always says "be yourself"? Don't do that. Listen, if you want something bad you have to fight for it. Step up your game, Tom. Stimulate the L word.'

'Lesbian?'

'The other L word.'

'…Lebensraum?'

'It's "love", Tom. Don't worry, I can help you win her heart.'

'Uhhh, okay… oh, also, if she does start to like me back, at what point do I go in for the-'

'If you have to ask, it's already too late.'


	33. Helium

**Listen, I'm not going to write another extensive explanation for this chapter's long wait, all I'll say right now is that, as always, I have good and unavoidable reasons for taking this long. Now, what does AV have to say?**

 ** _Yeah, please do [timestamps]._**

 **Okay.**

 ** _Damn, he must have Ben Heck-level skills to make that kind of modifications to an Apple Watch._**

 **It's not that hard. And it's not like he had to do it overnight or something.**

 ** _Wait, isn't Rugo saying he is too stupid to insult an insult? So he did insult him, so he isn't too stupid to insult, which means that he can be insulted, which means... Okay, I give up._**

 **I actually didn't even notice that.**

 ** _Yeah, this. THIS is the thing I've been waiting for since a month to address._**

 ** _First, it's SIEVERT, not sivert, and can be abbreviated to Sv. Also, 1800 mSv is 1.8 Sv, and according to Veritasium, anything over 2 Sv will probably kill you (/watch?vTRL7o2kPqw0) and if 2 Sv can probably kill people, I'm sure 1.8 Sv will do some serious shit to them._**

 **So, I watched the video, and now I can identify two possible explanations to why Veri said that:**

 **A: All 5 of the sources I used in researching the effects of ionizing radiation on the human body, despite all being consistent with one another, are all wrong, and he's right.**

 **B: My sources are right, and he made a typo in the script for the narration or something.**

 **Of course, even though Tom, Lauren and Indy would've all survived, it wouldn't exactly be pleasant for them. I didn't mention it since it all happened "off-camera", but here's a rough overview of what an exposure of a bit under 2Sv would do:**

 **Radiation poisoning**

 **Low blood cell count**

 **Nausea and Vomiting within hours of exposure (within 4 hours in 40-60% of cases)**

 **Hair loss 2 weeks after exposure**

 **Lifetime increase in cancer risk over 1%**

 **Probability of acute death from radiation under 5%**

 **Yeah, it would suck. But it's unlikely any of the three wouldn't make a full recovery eventually.**

 **I also got a question from "epic and evil man", but I'll save it for the Q &A (or FAQ, or whatever we're going to call it).**

 **Lastly, shoutout to The Sage of Whirlpool for favouriting** ** _私は、キラ_** ** _/ I, Kira_** **.**

 **(Chris' POV, 13:21, July 12)**

As lunchtime comes to an end, Luci, Connor, Lauren and I take our seats in science class at the back row, and I finish my story.

'…So by this point Mr Iesnes was really pissed at us and he was yelling "DO YOU EVEN KNOW BASIC MATH?! DO YOU EVEN KNOW ADDITION?! WHAT'S TWO PLUS TWO?! CODY, WHAT'S TWO PLUS TWO?!" and poor Cody wasn't paying attention so I leaned over to him and whispered "seven" and he blurted out "SEVEN!" and I have never laughed harder.'

'Hehe, you're actually kinda funny sometimes.'

'Really? Nah, I'm just mean and people think I'm joking.'

My attention suddenly steers away from the second Kira's adorable giggling, as a familiar red-eyed female enters the large room. Lauren notices my gaze on her rival and begins to mimic it.

'Lauren, it's okay, stay in your seat. Show her who's in charge now.'

'…Okay-'

'You're in my spot.'

'I don't see your name on it.'

'Who do you think you are?!'

'Someone who doesn't ask that question.'

'Oh man, this is even more intense than that time I forgot how to sit down!' Connor childishly comments, shortly followed by Dimina's 'Chris says it's okay! That probably means it isn't okay…'

After a few more seconds, Kallet walks off to another seat at the front row, subtly but no doubt intentionally stepping on Lauren's foot on her way.

Well, that was anticlimactic.

Connor is the first to break the silence. 'Did you hear about what happened to the last girl who got in Kallet's way? Or the one before that? Or the one before-'

'Yeah, I get it. You choose your friends, but sometimes your enemies choose you.' Before she can continue, Mr Orok enters the room.

'Allright you sons of bitches, shut up and listen because today we'll be working with some relatively dangerous equipment…'

'Hey Chris, remember that time last year when we had that field trip to the zoo for science class and one of the kids tried to sneak in a baby penguin and nobody even knew he had it until we were halfway back to the school?'

'Yeah, that was hilarious. You should've helped him hide it, Con-'

'Summer, Atarashimono, can you shut up while I'm talking please? Thank you… By the way, I just realized I left the box with the actual samples somewhere, probably in the student council room. It's a blue box about *this* big, could someone go run up and get it for me?'

'Sure.'

'It's pretty heavy, Atarashimono, you might need some help. Is there anyone else here who can access the stude-'

'I volunteer as tribute.'

'Me too.'

Fuck. Of all the people who could've raised their hands, fucking Luci and bitchface. I should get Lauren on the council just to avoid this kind of thing.

After silently walking through the empty hallways for half a minute, Luci is the first to speak up.

'Hey Chris, do you ever wonder how many tourist photos you're in the background of?'

'Probably not many. You know I spent most of my time indoors at home.'

'Yeah, I guess so. It's a shame you're like that, it makes it hard for me to find out more about you.'

'Uh, Lawliet-'

'It doesn't matter that she's listening, besides, she's a suspect too, and she knows that. She also knows I'm L. And now that my fourth main suspect, Alexander Rockley, is confirmed to have been killed, I'm now down to just you two and one other.'

...

…

Okay, let's think about what he just said. I don't think he knows Kallet and I already knew we were both suspects, and that we both already knew "Lawliet" is L. He also doesn't seem to know that we know Connor is the third suspect, and that he knows everything we do. In other words, Luci seems to think Connor, Kallet and I had no idea who the other suspects were, let alone that we already have our own "L-case" meetings in a coordinated group of the three of us.

'Wait, so Chris is a suspect?'

And little miss Vimerica seems to be playing along with that notion. Perfect.

'Indeed. And no, you can't bribe me to change my mind.'

Wrapping her arm around Luci's like how Calvin wrapped around the mouse in _Life_ , she launches a counterargument in that lustful second voice of hers.

'Oh, L… are you suuuuure there's nothing I can do?'

'I'm sure. Don't bother trying your little "tricks" on me.'

'Wow, Lawliet, you really put the "homo" in "homocidal maniac".' And just like that she's back to normal.

'You can call me what you like, but I **will** be taking Kira's power. And I won't let anything or anyone stop me.'

'Hey Luci, here's a cool life hack I learned the other day. The next time your plugs keep bending, try straightening the outlet with a fork.' I add.

'Well why don't you provide a demonstration, Chris?'

'… I tell myself every day I shouldn't be friends with you.'

Another awkward silence later we enter the student council room, and as the air-conditioned gradiant in temperature slams into us, Kallet darts for the fridge.

'Hey, guys, while we're here, does anyone want an iced coffee? I saw a few in here earlier... yup, there they are.'

'Nah, but thanks for offering.'

'Allright.'

The sound of her swiftly gulping down both bottles is interrupted by a quiet giggle.

'What's so funny, Luci?'

'That crazy girl from the biology club needed something to keep it in, so she used the bottles and put them in the fridge for storage. I saw her do it this morning.'

'What are you talking about?'

'That iced coffee wasn't iced coffee, it was horse sperm.'

With an indecipherable screech, she immediately runs over to the sink and begins regurgitating, leaving me to join in on my enemy's laughter.

'It's probably still better than my cooking. I'm like opposite day's Gordon Ramsey.'

'That reminds me, here's an idea I had a while back, it would be funny if there was a show where Gordon Ramsey had to sing for Simon Cowell, and Cowell had to cook for Ramsey and they just spent the whole time criticizing one another.'

'L, that… would probably still be better than most crap on TV these days. Like, last night I was watching TV and saw someone who claimed to be a Bigfoot expert. I didn't know you could be an expert in things that don't exist, or at the very least, I thought the church had a monopoly on that.'

'BOTH OF YOU SHUT UP! YOU KNOW, I REALLY WANNA KNOW WHEN TRYING TO GROW UP TURNED INTO NOT TRYING TO THROW UP!'

Focusing my attention elsewhere, I locate the box Mr Orok sent us here to retrieve, hidden behind the ice-cream stand thing. As I approach it and begin attempting to pull it out, I start to hear a faint noise from my left.

'Luci, please stop tapping on the glass. It scares the ice cream. Kallet, here's a crowbar.'

'What the fuck do I do with this?'

'The box-'

'You could shove it up your ass.'

'…Wow, Luci, you're sooo mature. Kallet, the box is stuck in here and I need your help getting it out.'

She does as told, and with her help I bring the box out into the room, and from there the three of us carry it back to class, where we return to our seats.

'Okay, now that everyone's here, we can start. As I told the class while you were gone, you first need to get into groups of three and find a table… Oh, come on guys! Remember, the "F" in "Physics" stands for fun!'

'…'

'…'

'…'

'…'

'Exactly. Now get to work.'

Lauren, myself and Connor almost instinctively group up, and the latter restarts the conversation as we drop our books open on the nearest green table.

'Hey, did you hear that 33 Brazilian people died in an explosion a few days ago?'

'33 Brazilian? How many is that?'

'Uhh…'

'So by the way, what did those two bitches and I miss out on while we were gathering supplies and shit?'

'Nothing much, just a lecture on covalent bonds and how to break them.'

'Okay… I wish I knew how to break my covalent bond with Kallet right now.'

'That's the most terrible pun I have ever heard, Chris. Why did you even-'

'You wanna know why I make science puns? Beryllium, Carbon, Gold, Selenium, Fluorine, Uranium, Carbon, Potassium, Yttrium, Oxygen, Uranium, Thorium, Astatine, Iodine, Sulphur, Tungsten, Hydrogen, Yttrium.'

'…What?'

'Oh, I'm sure someone will get it.'

'The Dysfunction is strong with this one.'

Well, I can't exactly tell Dimina to shut up, so I'll have to let it slide for now. In any case, a bigger worry has just shown up at the table.

'Hey Connoooooor, do you have a phone I can borrow? Mine's out of charge and, in preparation for the play that's happening in a few weeks, I want to record my speech later today to see how my voice sounds.'

'Is it bad I still use my IPhone 4?'

'Oh… No, it's not bad, just… stay away from me 'cause I don't wanna catch your poor.' She answers, walking off like the path back to her group's table is some kinda runway.

'What was that about?'

'As president of the student council, Kallet makes the opening speech at each assembly, such as the one we have after this class, after all the bible bullshit. You'll have to get used to it, Lauren…'

'HEY! GUYS! I NEED YOUR HELP WITH SOMETHING! MY GROUP-'

'What is it, Harry?'

'Hypothetically speaking, at what point does fire become too much fire?'

 **(Tom's POV, 14:07, July 12)**

Well, that was a boring art class. Hopefully they won't all be this unexciting. I remember last year when my class was working with clay in art class, and we were told that if there were any hollow parts in our projects, they would explode on the kiln and destroy everyone else's, so naturally it was inevitable that I made a creeper with a hollow head and body. Hopefully I'll get to do something cool like that.

In any case, I flow along with the crowds of teenagers gathering for assembly and eventually take my seat…

'Tom!'

'…Uh, hey Alice.'

'Listen, I'm sorry about earlier. Was I being too creepy or something? I do that a lot. I'm sorry.'

'What? No, no that's not it at all.'

'Oh, okay. So, you don't think I'm annoying?'

'No, you aren't.'

'That's… nice of you to say. So, I hear you're the son of the chief of ANPA?'

'Yes.'

'And you're also a professional illegal hacker?'

'How do you know that?'

'My older brother's best friend is one of your customers. The boy with the green eyes?'

'His name is Chris. He's very… unique. Certainly one of the most interesting customers I've had. No doubt he'll give me another task before Christmas. Come to think of it, that's not very far away.'

'…So, what do _you_ want? For Christmas?'

'A girlfriend.'

'Heh, hahahaha-'

'Stop laughing.'

'Oh, calm down! So, I hear you're into computer games?'

'Yes. Some say video games make you violent, but until recently we burned people alive just because we thought they were witches so I say humans are just shit.'

'That's cool, I have a few games I play on Steam. Oh, by the way, there's one more specimen in my bag I didn't get a chance to show you earlier.'

'What is it?'

Alice reaches into her bag and displays another glass test tube, with a large ant inside.

'The Australian bull ant, one of the most powerful such insects on Earth. Step on it and it'll just brush it off without a scratch and keep attacking. They live in colonies of 200-500 which they protect with their lives, and their excellent vision lets them see you before you see them. And you see this stinger? It does what you think it does, it jabs the fuck into things. And these aren't bees, no, they'll stab as many times as they want. The venom from a single sting is said to feel like if one's hand were dipped in boiling lead, and is potent enough to cause an anaphylactic shock. Oh, and some of them fly.'

'Alice, you're very…'

'…yes?'

'…Ah, never mind.'

'No, tell me.'

Shit, what was I going to say? How do I politely compliment a girl? What do I say? Shit shit shit shit…

'…If you were a tree, you would be a good tree.'

'Thanks, I guess.'

As we uncomfortably take our seats in the crowded assembly, I hear what sounds like an announcer or something.

' _Alright, once everyone's in their seats we can begin. Remember, Kids! Brush your drugs! Eat plenty of teeth! And don't do vegetables!_ '

 **(Lauren's POV, 14:14, July 12)**

Less than a second after locating an empty chair I feel a hand holding mine, and turn to see Chris sitting down next to me. Out of my peripheral vision I sense Kallet passing by as well.

'Ah, being pretty on camera sure is tiring. Now, let's get this shit started!' She says in the rudest tone imaginable, before continuing into the doorway next to platform at the front of the assembly hall.

'…Alright Dimina, here's my plan. Since you're invisible to pretty much the entire school, when that bitch begins her speech at the start of assembly, you can run up behind her and pull down her skirt… actually, also pull down everything _under_ her skirt.'

'Sounds fun!'

And just like that, the aforementioned demon enthusiastically follows Kallet into the doorway, leaving me to sit back and listen to the…

…

'…So what's up with all the religious bullshit?'

'It's a school tradition. You know, now that I think about it, a Christian telling one of us that we're going to hell is about as scary as a small child saying we won't get any presents from Santa this Christmas.'

'When I was a little girl that was a legitimate concern for me.'

'Yeah, same here. But you get what I'm saying, right?'

'Indeed. One could even say that religion is the practice of training your mind to ignore evidence, logic and reason, while being able to believe in fictional stories based on absolutely nothing, and being proud of it.'

'Exactly. And I bet if a scientist threatened a child with an eternal pit of flames, it'd be global news, yet these people do it every day.'

'Oh, here it comes…'

With a confident posture the president of the student council approaches the microphone, and initiates her speech.

'Hello. As you are all aware, today we have a few new arrivals at this school, and… in other news, We still have a few roles open for the end-of-year school performance, so if anyone is still interested in being a part of the play they should let myself or one of the staff involved know by the end of next week-'

At that moment… Dimina does it. She actually did it. And just as I expected, the room is filling with gasps as the girl panics and runs off the platform.

'Chris, can I talk to you for a second?' I notice Luci asking Chris.

'Oh, sure.' And without another word the two of them leave the room unnoticed. I wonder what that's about. Hopefully nothing serious.

'Heh.'

'What?'

'Oh, I just…'

'Dimina, what is it?'

'…'

'…'

'…You've taken to him, haven't you?'

'I trust him, if that's what you mean.'

( _2 days later_ )

As soon as Chris parks the motorcycle, I jump off and observe the abandoned facility.

'So this is the base?'

'Yup. I actually haven't been here in nearly a year, so we'll probably need to do some maintenance on the drones and clear up the runway before we can start launching anything. Personally I'm glad we showed up here in the evening, because in the middle of the day this place is hot as fuck. Luckily, the control tower is air-conditioned, and as I mentioned there are beds with mattresses so we don't have to use shitty sleeping bags.'

'You know, I'm really glad my dad let me have a "two-day sleepover" with "a new friend". He's become so stuck in the Kira case that he doesn't even notice or care what Tom and I are doing any more.'

'But look on the bright side. Since I only have to drop you off at home on Sunday night, that gives us over 48 hours here. In that time we can launch each drone twice, carrying a total of 48 missiles. This'll be a serious step towards getting the world's governments on my side. All in all I've prepared 47 messages to send to various nations. Some are instructions for those that accepted by initial offer, some are renegotiated deals for those who didn't, and some are directed at nations that I haven't tried to contact yet. All in all, the countries we'll be targeting are Albania, Armenia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, East Timor, Egypt, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Germany, Greece, Haiti, Hungary, Iceland, India, Iran, Iraq, Japan, Jamaica, Korea, Libya, Mauritania, Nambia, Nepal, Novorossiya, Palestine, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Romania, Russia, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Sweden, The Bahamas, The Dominican Republic, The East African Federation, The Netherlands, Vietnam, Yemen-'

'And while you three are doing that, I'll just sit here quietly and eat my ice-cream.' Dimina smugly replies.

'…Hey, that's my ice-cream!'

'Not anymore.'

'Fine. I have six person-days of food loaded in the back here, so surely there's something… Aha! Chocolate sushi rolls!'

'Chris, you're an idiot for eating that kind of food.'

'What are you talking about? It has seaweed and rice in it!'

'Actually, that's a good point. Not about the sushi, but the food you eat. Chris, how do you stay so fit with your, umm… _appetite_?' I ask.

'Alright, here's my secret: I burn 1800 calories a month by drinking 1.5 liters of ice water a day. You see, in order to keep my body tem-'

'That's the dumbest thing I have ever heard.' Dimina interrupts.

'Well I'll respect your opinion so long as your opinion doesn't disrespect my existence.'

'Can we just get inside?'

'Oh, sure. Lauren, I disabled the security systems last time Rugo and I were here, so you can just walk right in.'

'Oh, good. It's great to have an ex-mafia member on the team.'

'Yeah, I know I'm a real asset.'

'You're only off by two letters.'

'SHUT UP DIMINA OR I'LL-'

'You'll what, Chris? You try to throw as many punches as you want, I bet you a thousand dollars you won't land one.'

 ***WHACK***

…

*flop*

…

'AT ME, NOT RUGO, YOU IDIOT!'

'Well you didn't say that.'

'What did you think I meant?!'

While that argument rages on I activate the lights to see the inside of a hangar, covered with large rocket-like objects lined up in neat rows on the right, a few boxes and barrels in the middle, and two large white vehicles on the left.

'Hey, Chris, are these the drones?'

'What? …Yes, yes they are. One of the most feared weapons of the most powerful military force on Earth. And over there we have all the missiles. Last time I checked there are only 50 left, so we'll have to get more soon.'

As he starts inspecting the 52 aforementioned assets, I let my curiosity take the wheel and start investigating the stuff between the aircraft and their payload. Opening up a large crate I see a rack filled with several neatly-lined metallic egg-shaped objects. I hold one up so Chris can see.

'What's this?'

'Oh, that? That's the most extreme weapon you'll ever find in a place like this. The mini-nuke. No-one I've spoken with knows where they came from or who made them – most think it was the Israelis, some assume it was the Americans, and a few even say it was the Pakistanis or Chinese – but, sometime in early 2015, the mafia somehow acquired nearly a hundred of them, and old bases like the ones on this map are sure to have one or two in storage. The device is a small but powerful tactical weapon, the warhead itself weighing only a bit over 4 kilograms but containing the same explosive energy as 750 metric tons of TNT, or 5% of the energy of Little Boy.'

'…5%?'

'Yeah.'

'…What is this?! An A-Bomb for ants?!'

 **(Rugo's POV, 17:50, July 14)**

As I'm plugging a fuel pump into one of the drones, a soft tap on the back alerts me to Dimina's presence.

'Rugo, are you feeling better?'

'Yeah, I'm fine. Hey, do you ever wonder how an author would describe you in a novel or a Fanfiction? Not just your appearance but the way you talk and laugh and all the expressions on your face?'

'Chris' description would probably start with "and then there's this asshole".'

'Dimina…'

'Hey, look what I found earlier!'

Without any more of an explanation she rolls over a large metal gas tank with the letters "He" on it.

'Is that…'

'Yup! How about we trick Chris into inhaling it without him knowing and then piss him off? It'll be hilarious!'

'…Dimina, did it hurt?'

'Did what hurt?'

'When you broke through the Earth's crust ascending from hell?'

'Oh, you!'

She's hugging me again. I think I'm starting to get used to it.

'So Rugo, what do you think of my idea?'

'Sure, let's do it. I'll go find Chris.'

Jumping out of the hangar I enter the control tower (the only other part of the base aside from the airstrip and surrounding forest) and find the two humans having some kind of discussion. I may as well listen in for a bit. And the first Kira does seem rather talkative.

'…That's how the IMF works. It loans billions to countries it knows can't pay back. It's a scam to "foreclose" on a country's assets. You see, the IMF's major shareholder is the US Treasury with sole veto rights. Many current and former heads of the treasury are Goldman Sachs. Now connect the dots. The treasury that runs the IMF is bankrolled at interest by the Federal Reserve, a consortium of banks revolving around the Rothschild faction. The IMF is another so-called "bankster" operation, whose loans are not to boost a country's economy but to pay off creditors it already owes, many of whom are already part of the kleptocracy. Anyway, I'm starting to get a bit off-topic. My main point is, money doesn't grow on trees. Privately owned central banks create money out of thin air and loan it out at interest. All modern money is literally debt owed to them. The economy is a casino, central banks control the games, and the house always wins. Any questions?'

'…'

'…'

'…I wonder who invented the word "spoon".'

'You weren't listening.'

'No, of course I was. It's certainly interesting how you know so much stuff. I'm… rather glad the Death Note fell into the hands of someone like you. And now that you'll be using it for the rest of your life-'

'Lauren… personally I've never wanted to use the Death Note for the entire rest of my life.'

'Huh?'

'One day, I want to create a world free of crime and war… where I don't have to use one of these. This device is too dangerous to be used by humans, and it shouldn't exist in this world if it isn't absolutely necessary. Over time, I want to change things so that the world stays safe and peaceful with or without Kira… and then, I suppose the requiem will have completed. It's strange, less than a year ago I thought it was impossible. Just a student changing the world… it's not realistic. You'll understand that if you think for a bit. But now, I've acquired… this power. Now, let's start the "democratic" process…'


	34. Hug

**So, nothing from AV this time. That's a shame. Anyway, shoutout to eNervFlinC for following** ** _私は、キラ_** ** _/ I, Kira_** **.**

 **(Chris' POV, 00:56, July 15)**

Lauren pulls another card out of the deck.

'Okay, this is a good one: Summarize the plot of Dragonball Z in five words.'

'Grunt, grunt, grunt, fight, grunt.'

'That's… actually kinda accurate.'

'Can we play another game? This is getting boring.'

'Okay, Rugo. How about scrabble?'

'Ja, that sounds fun.'

Plonking down the dusty box, Lauren opens the scrabble set and unfolds the board as the four of us take our positions.

'So are we going to do this clockwise or…'

'Sure. Dimina can start.'

'…I will put down my A to make "A".'

'I will add onto your "A" to make "At".'

'I will add onto your "At" to make "Rat".'

'I will add onto your "Rat" to make "Biostratographic".'

*SMASH*

'Oh no! Tidal wave!'

'Sore loser.'

'The fuck did you just say, Chris?'

'I called you a sore loser, because that's what you are.'

'Hey, you can call me whatever you want, just don't call me late for dinner.'

'So, what can we do now?'

'How about we play spin the bottle, except instead of kissing each other you fight?'

'Nah, that sounds dumb.'

'How about, I dunno, truth or dare?'

'Sure, let's go with that. Chris can start.' Rugo suggests.

'Alright, Rugo… truth.'

'What's the strangest pet you've ever had?'

'You.'

'Hey, Chris, wanna see something cool?' I hear behind me. Turning around I see Lauren leaning her head in through the doorway, and turning back I see the empty spot where she was sitting less than a minute ago. How did she get from there to there without me noticing?

'Okay. What is it?' I ask, receiving no immediate answer as I follow her down the stairs and outside. When she stops walking I follow her gaze upwards, to be confronted by a vast sea of stars.

'Holy shit… well, I guess it's to be expected, since we're so far from the city and as such there's a lot less light pollution.'

'Still, it's pretty cool, right Chris?'

'Indeed. And just think, in those clouds of stars, 300 billion of them in total, there could be dozens of millions of them with worlds capable of supporting human life. Countless new worlds humanity might someday inhabit-'

'I thought you were gonna mention something about aliens.'

'Oh, yeah, that too…'

'…'

'…'

'Chris, do you ever still think about that day, more than two years ago?'

'Sometimes. I know I could've done more, I… I should've done more.'

'Don't worry about it. What's happened has happened. And at least you managed to save my brother and I. You know, two years ago, I was a fucking mess. Now I'm still a fucking mess but I'm at peace with it and I have a slightly better fashion sense… What are you doing?'

'It's cold. You're warm. So I'm hugging you.'

'Thanks. You know, I very strongly admire you for the effort you're putting into all of this Kira stuff.'

'Really? Thank you. I'm glad you don't think I'm careless, 'cause a lot of people think that about me.'

'How could people think you're careless?'

'I don't know… listen, it actually is a bit cold. Let's get back inside.'

Back in the control tower, I take a seat on one of the UAV command station's swivel chairs and glimpse over the various maps displayed on the screen, showing the positions of each missile launched.

'Alright, it looks like the Palestinian Resistance is about to receive its payload. No doubt the western media will use this against me when they find out. Sure, damn Israel can spy on and attack countless countries, take billions of hard-earned taxpayer dollars from countless more countries and commit war crimes and genocides too numerous to count, but apparently we can't say anything about that or else they call us anti-Semitic and fear-based propaganda scares the public away from looking. Well, fuck them! You know, some of Connor's relatives are Jewish, and they all agree that true Judaism rejects Zionism, and the rest of that crazy Middle Eastern regime. Of course, that doesn't get the resistance or their allies off the hook either, and in my message I've made it clear that they need to get their act together if they want my help. Interestingly, it is said that Mohammed once wrote an open letter to Christians that declared their right to self-governance, protection for churches and monasteries, and freedom to practice their religion openly is Muslim-controlled areas. Muslims are supposed to follow this until the end of time, although we can see how well they've done that.'

'It also looks like our payload for Cuba should be arriving soon.'

'Ah, yes. That's another important one. If the United States and Canada ever need to be liberated by force, Mexico and the Caribbean will be an extremely vital strategic position to begin from.'

'You know, I once heard that coconuts have only been in the Caribbean for about 500 years. They just… floated over from Asia and took root.'

'Wait, really? I thought they were brought over on purpose.'

'Right? I remember hearing it on a nature documentary. Apparently they're remarkably buoyant and just floated their way across the ocean.'

'ARE YOU SUGGESTING COCONUTS MIGRATE?!' Dimina loudly interrupts.

'Ya, they do.'

'Ya?'

'Ya.'

'Ayaya?'

'Ayaya-'

'Ayaya! Ayaya!'

'Ayaya!'

'AYAYA! AYAYA!'

'…Chris, what the fuck did you put in their drinks?'

'I could ask you the same question, Rugo. Hey Lauren, have you done any of the homework we were assigned this week?'

'AY- Huh? Oh, nope.'

'…I didn't either. Honestly I think the whole education system can go fuck itself. I mean, we're trying to save the world and _that_ 's the kind of shit we get in return? And it ain't just us. These days, the only "information" children remember about school are that grades are more important than morals and emotional/physical health, that the truth only comes from authority, that intelligence is only the ability to remember and repeat, that individuality is punishable, and that they'll never amount to anything. And when student's cheat on exams… that is only logically possible if the school system values grades more than the students value learning. In other words, the student isn't the problem there either!'

'Hey, guys, our missile inbound for the Netherlands is about to arrive.' Rugo mentions.

'Oh, great! A good thing about potentially having the Netherlands on our side is that they can use their flooding system to turn Holland into an island, hence giving us a heavily fortified position in Europe… by the way, Lauren, I finished your Kira suit about an hour ago, wanna try it on?'

'Sure…' She quickly locates the aforementioned uniform and leaves the room.

…

'…Do you ever stop and realize that the average person doesn't know what "ship" or "canon" means?'

'Yeah, I guess we kinda just sound like pirates to them sometimes.'

'Actually, most pirates used different words since they usually didn't speak English. I know because I was there. I must say, that was one amazing journey, all those years ago.'

'Dimina, can I ask you something?'

'Go ahead.'

'Do you know how old the origin of the Death Notes and Shinigami is?'

'Not conclusively, but there have been a lot of stories. I've heard rumors that one of the first times a shinigami dropped a Death Note into the human world was around 2000 years ago somewhere in the middle east, but details on what happened there are sketchy at best. Then there was Captain Blackbook, the lesser-known pirate who ruled much of the Caribbean with myself by his side before hiding his notebook with the rest of his treasure shortly before dying. Then there's the infamous case of Jack the ripper-'

'How do I look?'

'Oh, Lauren, that was fast… you look gorgeous.'

'Awwww thanks! But I have noticed one little problem… you forgot to put air holes in my helmet! But aside from that, I like it. And the handgun attached to the belt is certainly a nice addition.'

'He added a handgun? Let me see…'

'Dimina, watch were you're aiming that thing!'

'Hey, don't worry, I just wanna make sure everything's working correctly-'

 ***BANG***

'Okay, we're good, it worked! Come on, Chris, get up. Don't be such a baby.'

'You fucking shot me.'

'It grazed your arm, you goddamn weakling. Come on, either way it's better than being stabbed.'

'Well, not necessarily. Surviving being stabbed isn't too hard. Just don't remove the knife as it would be partially keeping the blood inside you. If you take it out, you'll bleed out and die. If, one the other hand, you're the one who's trying to kill someone, don't leave the knife in. If you take it out, they'll bleed out and die.'

'You learned that in the mafia, I assume?'

'Yup. You'd be surprised how much random knowledge I got there. For example, if you're ever not sure if a mirror is a one-way window, place your fingernail against the surface. If there's a gap between it and its reflection, it's a regular mirror. If not, it's a one-way window.'

 **(Luci's POV, 08:13, July 15)**

A gothic-fonted Q appears on my laptop, catching everyone's attention.

' _Luci, there's a response video to Kira's response video. Apparently this one entered the TTT building via missile, destroying several rooms in the process. This is getting very absurd. What's wrong with using the mail? The delivery method may have changed in order to bypass our defenses of the place, but judging by the envelope, tape, the way it was sealed, handwriting, and visual quality, there's little doubt it's from the same person. The materials are on the way to you, but I will now send you a copy of what's on the USB._ '

By the time everyone's gathered around the screen, the new video has started playing.

' _Kira, thank you for your reply. I will do whatever you want._ '

They will do as he says, huh? How useless is that?!

' _I want to meet you, Kira. I don't think you have my… "additional ability", but that's totally fine because I do!_ '

Is this person an idiot? Mentioning a detail like that on a video that the whole world will see… quickly glancing around it appears the other Task Force members are clearly more confused than myself. It's probably still better that they haven't seen _Death Note_ yet.

' _Please think of a way we can meet without the police knowing. We can confirm each other when we meet by showing our powers. I will never try to kill you, pinky promise! But, if you try to touch me inappropriately I will murder you._ '

After the video abruptly ends, the first tense, pale, worried subordinate to speak up is Okada.

'Maybe this "power" term is describing the ability to kill? "Confirming each other by showing our powers." We could think of that as meaning that they will show each other their abilities to kill people.'

'Yes. In any case, we can try to set things up in order to learn more about this.'

'Then we'll try again at sending a fake message from Kira?'

'No, from now on we'll let Kira and the Second Kira handle everything.'

'Let them? Isn't that a completely-'

'Shut up Okada! We can assume that the Second Kira is very happy right now after receiving a reply from Kira. He or she has succeeded in getting Kira's attention. From Kira's view, he'd definitely want to avoid the second Kira getting captured by the police. We also have a strong opportunity to gain physical evidence against one or more Kiras. Closely examine every piece of mail sent to every TV station. If they do receive something from a Kira, I will decide whether they can broadcast it or not. For now, let's gather all the evidence we can on the second Kira.'

As everyone disperses from the screen I feel a soft buzz in my pocket, and I subtly leave the room to see who's calling me. And it is… shit. I'm probably fucked. Well, here goes nothing…

'Hello?'

' _Listen, I've just got a call from Israel. Mossad says they've made a couple breakthroughs in the Kira case._ '

'Dad? What is it?'

' _They won't tell me yet. They want to announce their findings to us in person._ '

'You're saying I have to go all the way over to Israel?'

' _Yes. It'll be very important, and we'll also begin preparations for a false-flag attack against Kira. They're calling it "Operation Sunset"._ '

'Makes sense. After all, every time we want to start a war that the people don't want, all we have to do is have some innocent people people attacked, and blame the attack on whoever we want to attack. Just like our classic example, 9/11… Yeah, sure, I'll come. I'm ready to take a few years off my life this weekend.'

' _Haha, well I know some of them are still eager to hear about what little progress you've made in the case. Although, obviously, support for you is rapidly fading. In our meetings we're going to be discussing how our money and resources will be allocated in the fight against Kira, and it looks like your operations are going to be the second priority behind M's, and rightfully so._ '

'What the fuck! How could I lose to… to… to her!'

' _BECAUSE YOU SHOULD HAVE FOUND AND KILLED THE BASTARD MONTHS AGO BUT EVEN NOW YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW WHO HE IS! IF YOU WANT SUPPORT, GET US SOME RESULTS!_

 _…_

 _…_

 _Everything in the world revolves around money. You know that as much as I do. Now if you want us to pour more money into your investigation, show us why we should._ '

'I… I won't back down! I will overcome this, using every pawn I can! To change the world into something we want! …Perhaps this is what I was always longing for.'

' _Remember, Luci, you shouldn't take anything for granted. After all, in an isolated system, entropy can only increase._ '


	35. Coordinates

**You know what I really hated about the timestamps on this chapter? Calculating and Converting the time zones and flight times and shit. Moving swiftly on to AV…**

 _ **Well, you see, I kind of ended up forgetting stuff... and... had a lot of stuff to do... and... *insert more excuses here*.**_

 **Remove the bit about forgetting stuff and this perfectly describes why this FF is taking so much longer than it used to. Also the fact the uploading thing fucked up, which delayed it another day.**

 _ ***'Okay… I wish I knew how to break my covalent bond with Kallet right now.'***_

 _ **Well, for that you need to either heat at high temperatures, or you can use a good nucleophilic reagent, such as sodium hydroxide to push out a leaving group. Only to be used if you're sure either of you is a better leaving group than hydroxide.**_

 **Or just use a fission reaction to alter one of the atoms involved and split the molecule. I personally would love to push Kallet into a nuclear reactor.**

 _ **"Is this person an idiot?"**_

 _ **No, he/she obviously isn't. At this point it should be clear that this person is just acting stupid.**_

 **If Luci was smart enough to realize stuff like that, Team Kira would probably be wiped out already.**

 _ ***'I… I won't back down! I will overcome this, using every pawn I can! To change the world into something we want! …Perhaps this is what I was always longing for.'**_

 _ **'Remember, Luci, you shouldn't take anything for granted. After all, in an isolated system, entropy can only increase.'***_

 _ **So, basically, shit's going to get real...**_

 **Correct.**

 **(Luci's POV, 09:51, July 16)**

Stepping into the hidden facility I'm instantly hit with a blast of cool air contrasting the desert heat outside. Following my father to the conference room I locate some familiar faces: The Rothschilds, the Bushes, Nathan Warburg, George Soros, Paul Volcker, Larry Summers, Lloyd Blankfein, Ben Shalom, Barack Obama, Benjamin Netanyahu… and a rather unexpected addition…

'Hillary?'

'Hey! You're still alive? You probably deserve an award just for that.'

'Yeah, heh… so, I read your book. Some great propaganda in there.'

'You liked it?'

'Yeah. You know, if I were a famous author I would publish a book with ten different endings which all went to print with varying degrees of rarity, but keep it secret from my fans so I could watch their confusion as they disagreed on how the story ended. Then when they figured it out I would "come clean", telling them that I has released eleven alternate endings, and I'd watch them panic again as they all try to find the last one… oh, here comes your little rival.'

'Dammit…'

As subtly as possible she disappears into the crowd as the aforementioned man approaches.

'So, I hear you're the one they call "L"?'

'That's correct.'

'I've heard a lot about you. Listen, if you feel stuck at any point, just remember what I always tell myself: Total victory is scoring an easy win by doing what you always do.'

'That barely even makes sense.'

'Well it got me in the White House. Although I guess your situation isn't exactly the same. I mean, if you win, you live. If you lose, you die. If you don't fight for victory, you can't win! Over the last fifty years I have made fourteen million trillion thousand billion dollars in business-making deals, so I think I know what I'm talking about.'

'Okay, Donald, let me repeat to you what I'm sure you've already been told multiple times. You don't talk to us as your inferiors, or even as your equals. You've been with us all for less than a year, I was born into it. So shut your mouth and find a seat!'

'You don't have to be so rude.' I suddenly hear behind me. Turning around I see the youngest face in the conference room staring into mine.

'M, don't sneak up on me like that.'

'You have to admit, the cheeto had a point. If you can't run then walk, if you can't walk then crawl, but whatever you do, keep moving forward.'

'…Why are you trying to sound helpful?'

'Probably because you're the only other person here who isn't old enough to have ridden fuckin' dinosaurs as a kid. I honestly feel disgusted just talking to some of those men. Like, Rupert Murdoch still thinks all Muslims should apologize for terrorism.'

'Well, on behalf of all white people I apologize for Rupert Murdoch. By the way, I think you look rather pretty in that dress.'

'I don't want to look "pretty", I want to look otherworldly and vaguely threatening.'

Through the corner of my eye I see Yossi Cohen, the director of Mossad, enter the room and arrive at the podium. I silently take my seat next to M.

'So, let me begin. First, a brief background on how exactly we have produced our latest breakthrough in the so-called "Kira Case". The trouble with most people is that they don't believe something could happen until it already has. It's not stupidity or weakness, it's just human nature. In the '30s, Jews refused to believe they could be sent to concentration camps. In '72, we refused to be massacred in the Olympics. In the month before October 1973 we saw Arab troop movements, and we unanimously agreed that they didn't pose a threat. A month later, the Arabs almost drove us into the sea. So, we decided to make a change. "The tenth man." If nine of us with the same information arrived at the exact same conclusion, it's the duty of the tenth man to disagree. No matter how improbable it may seem, the tenth man has to start thinking with the assumption that the other nine were wrong.'

'And you were that tenth man?!' Someone from the front row shouts.

'Precisely. Now by now I'm sure you're all aware of the now-infamous Japanese story " _Death Note_ ", which stars a protagonist which appears virtually identical to our target, even going so far as to take his "superhero name", Kira. Since everyone assumed that this story was merely the inspiration for our target's journey to become what he or she is now, I began my investigation, and what I found next, what we at Mossad found next, changes everything.'

( _One explanation exactly like what Tom showed Indy in chapter 23 later_ )

'The wormhole is 400 meters in diameter and at its core is hovering 40 kilometers above sea level. Before opening and after closing it does not appear to leave any indication of its existence, and where it will open up next is currently impossible to predict. But wait, there's more! It turns out these two gravitational anomalies, signaling the rise of the first and second Kiras, aren't the only ones that have occurred in recent times. By going through the archives of our gravitational satellites' measurements, we have identified a third event located above the Kanto region of Japan, all the way back in 2006. Back then we dismissed it as an error in the software or instrumentation of the satellites themselves, but now that we knew what to look for...'

At this point only about two-thirds of the audience is paying attention anymore, none more carefully than M and I.

( _Several hours later_ )

So, my worst-case predictions turned out to be accurate. After Yossi's presentation, M and I each made our own speeches. In mine I described all the progress I've made on the Kira Case so far, or at least that's what everyone thinks. I had to basically make up half the shit I said so no-one there finds Kira before me and takes his power before I can. M's presentation was more about potential militaristic strategies to go on the offensive against Kira, including that "Operation Sunset" idea for a massive false-flag assassination. She also presented evidence that Kira is using physical payloads carried by missiles to communicate with other nations, which I really hope doesn't turn out to be true. Finally, just as my father said, my operations have been dropped way down the priority list. Granted, a few million dollars a month is still enough to keep my case going as it has been, but I feel terrible about it. Stepping onto the aircraft, I faintly remember something I heard in a book or film a couple years ago:

' _Some day, everything's gonna go south on you, everything's gonna go south and you're gonna say "This is it, this is how I end." Now you can either accept that, or you can get to work._ '

That's right. I was mistaken! I was wrong to depend on sympathy! Cold… heartless… I won't forgive them! They can't be forgiven! Before creation there must be destruction. If my soul stands in the way, then I'll toss it aside. Yes, I have no choice but to move forward.

…and I just got a text from Q.

( _One flight later_ )

I walk into our newly-official headquarters, which Q purchased and began refurbishing while I was gone, and immediately after jumping onto the empty couch I ask, 'So, there's another message form the second Kira?'

'Yes, that is the very thing we just finished explaining. It does appear we've received a new message, but I'm having trouble plugging it into the USB port.'

'Well that's because it's a piece of paper.'

'No, I'm pretty sure it's just a USB that happens to be made out of paper.'

'Yeah, but doesn't that make it a letter?'

'…Noooo it's a USB.'

'Maybe a note?'

'No, it's not a note…'

'How about a memo?'

Silently reading the page over my shoulder, Pearl is the first to interrupt.

'The, umm, whatever that is that Q handed you mentions several different days on which the second Kira would like to meet the first.'

'That's why I told you to hurry, Luci. You know I don't like reading. I generally just watch the movie versions.'

Typical Q. So, what does this thing say?

 _Thursday 20 July: -33.700481 151.112829_

 _Friday 21 July: -33.704073 151.100587_

 _Saturday 22 July: -33.710064 151.104412_

 _Sunday 23 July: -33.724318 151.120235_

 _Monday 24 July: -33.548189 151.208144_

 _Tuesday 25 July: -33.859594 151.204775_

 _Wednesday 26 July: -33.858117 151.214874_

 _Thursday 27 July: -33.664721 151.080348_

'…A day and a number, no doubt the latter of which is a coordinate. No indication of which time and location is the "correct" one, and based on the variations in the coordinate numbers they're probably scattered all over the city… For now, all I can say is that this person is stupid.'

'Exactly,' Nigel says. 'Wanting us to broadcast this message for Kira would obviously mean that they're aware of what would happen to the targeted locations…'

'It'd be a total panic. The media would be screaming that going to those places would get you killed by a Kira, or some bullshit like-'

'Shut up Okada! Frankly, it does seem idiotic, but that also makes it difficult to react to. If we broadcast the message, then we'll also have to announce that the areas listed will be closed off to all non-essential personnel and fortified. If we don't, then the second Kira might not do anything, or worse, they could get angry and do something really stupid. I say we go ahead with the broadcast, and immediately begin covering all the schedule's meeting points with every kind of surveillance device known to man. We'll also begin closing down the streets surrounding each point and conducting a further investigation there.'

'You're not thinking they'd come after it's announced that there will be police presence around each location?'

'Police? I was thinking more along the lines of an extremely high-tech and well-trained elite military force, and also police. And no, I don't think the first Kira will come, but I'm not sure about the second. I don't know how stupid he or she is. Or perhaps they aren't stupid at all, and there's another hidden message in here. If there's some kind of code that only those with Kiran abilities would understand, it's unlikely I'd be able to find it. So we'll have to just do what we can. We'll start by installing as many hidden cameras as possible in all eight targets, and filling the streets in all areas with as many plain-clothed police officers as we can.'

'But if one of the Kiras shows up and notices people trying to capture them, won't they do something in response? It's dangerous.'

Fuckin' Idiots. When will they realize? That they are being used, that they are all nothing more than pawns! But I guess I have to play along for now…

'We're already announcing that we will be fortifying the locations, so I don't think they'll be surprised if we have people questioning people, or even taking fingerprints and DNA scans. In any case, I doubt either of them will be killing regular people. Our officers will be dressed casually and simply be on the lookout for anyone suspicious. And in case our cameras and cops aren't enough to ensure nothing remains unseen, I'll also arrange for several surveillance drones and spy satellites to keep an eye on the situation from above. As for who within the eight of us will go, we can't pick someone like Nigel, whose appearance screams out that they're a cop.'

'I'll go. I'll fit right in.' Mungalo suggests, and I know what Okada is thinking, so I'll say it first.

'You can go too.'

'Eh, I might as well tag along,' Pearl adds, 'I mean, it's not like it'll be that dangerous for us. After all, the only thing the second Kira is interested in is Kira, and vice versa.'

The first Kira's main goal is inevitably going to be to reach the second before anyone else, so would he want to go to a place where he could possibly be seen by him or her? We know that this "additional ability" bypasses the requirement for the second Kira to know a target's name beforehand, but does it work the way the Shinigami eyes do in _Death Note_? Or does it work completely differently? Say Kira's device is like a sniper rifle that only "fires" when the target's name is typed into something, and the "additional ability" removes that requirement? Of course, that can't be the case either, and thinking about things I have yet to understand will get me nowhere. The more time goes by, the higher the chance the two Kiras could make contact, that much is certain. I'll just have to put into motion the plans I have…

'We'll broadcast the timetable tomorrow. Nigel, we'll have to get cooperation from the police before tomorrow night's news.'

'Right, I'll do my best.'

'Also, and this is very important, while it's true that this gives us a chance to catch one or both Kiras, at this point we must also think about the two of them joining forces. I want to strengthen our security even more.'

'What do you-'

'Shut up Okada! So from now on, and this applies to all of you except Pearl, Q and I, don't reveal to anyone that you're working on this case, avoid going outside as cops as much as possible, and I want you to destroy all photos of yourselves but the ones on your person. I've left no photos of myself anywhere, not even at Forbes High School where I'm registered. Even all the security cameras in this building should be made to deactivate whenever we enter or leave, and should be made even more impenetrable to any hacking attempts.'

 **(Tom's POV, 15:15, July 16)**

You're a bit late for that, bitch.

 **(Luci's POV, 15:15, July 16)**

'I want you all to gather up your files at the Police Headquaters, all your photos at home, and ones you've given away, and dispose of them. If the Kiras join forces and want to wipe us out, all they'd need is our pictures to kill us all, in theory at least. Oh, and one more thing. Some of us not going to the locations specified should be following our three main suspects at the stated times. If any of them show up at one of the second Kira's meetup points, even if it seems they're only doing it out of curiosity, your orders are to shoot to kill.'

'What the hell!? Isn't that a bit overkill?!'

'Well, Mungalo, you know what they say: there's no kill like overkill.'

'What?! Who says that?!'

'Probably the guys who say "When in doubt, shoot all your problems away". So, in the meantime, I've put together a list of places we could look for a possible Kiran base of operations,' I continue, pulling out another sheet of paper for everyone to read over as Q shows up with coffee.

 _Not Sydney_

 _Kira's house_

 _The month between I, Kira chapters_

 _Flavortown_

 _University classroom_

 _Forbes High School rooftop_

 _Atlantis_

'Now, these are theoretical and highly confidential, so I think the best option is to split these places among us. Mungalo, I think you and Okada should check out Flavortown. I think I'd be best suited to investigate the high school, because I'm the only one of us currently enrolled there. Aivenawa, you get Not Sydney. Chief, you get Kira's house and Atlantis. Good luck with those. Now, Pearl, when we're out searching the specified locations, I want you to keep a close eye on our suspects. Also, I don't want you to keep a close eye on them, okay?'

'Luci, may quickly I speak to you in private?' Q requests, and I follow him out of the room.

'…What is it?'

'I've watched a recording of your presentation in Israel. Luci, have you ever uttered a single completely true thing since you were born?'

'Shut Up! I did what I had to do. People lie to survive, no-one is blameless!'

'…Good answer. Of course, giving up on the case then wouldn't have gotten you assassinated, probably. But now… you know, that speech has earned you over twenty new nicknames, few of which are positive. I'm not going to lie, unless you turn up results soon, the Kiras will be the least of your problems. And if you can't do that, there's only one way you can avoid assassination.'

'Let me guess. The thing I'd have to do is "die" before getting killed, right?'

'Indeed. You'll only survive if you "die".'


	36. SR-71

**No review from AV, but from someone else this time. CrazyCause said:**

 ** _This is so cool, such an amazing idea! (I also like the fact that its set in austrlis!)_**

 **I'm glad someone else thinks so.**

 **CrazyCause also favorited** ** _私は、キラ_** ** _/I, Kira_** **, as did UnovanChicken, the latter of whom also is also now following as well, alongside DarkkBluee. So I'd say things have been going okay between chapters, at least as far as that's concerned-**

 **And just as I'm done editing I see that's not all! triazatriborinane (sorry if I'm pronouncing that wrong) has followed, favourited and left a review.**

 _ **"You're a bit late for that, bitch."**_  
 _ **DAMN! Easily the most savage line in the history of I, Kira**_

 **If you look around you could probably find a more savage one, but I can't find any specific examples right now.**

 _ ***'…Good answer. Of course, giving up on the case then wouldn't have gotten you assassinated, probably. But now… you know, that speech has earned you over twenty new nicknames, few of which are positive. I'm not going to lie, unless you turn up results soon, the Kiras will be the least of your problems. And if you can't do that, there's only one way you can avoid assassination.'***_  
 _ **The original L had no pressure on him to solve the case, and he was doing it out of his own interest. This guy is not only less smart but also under more pressure, but he said that he'd "die" (fake his death, I guess?), so a number of things can happen. I'm interested to see which direction the story takes at this point...**_

 **This is one of the things that I really don't like about the original _Death Note_. But I guess the elitists, deep states, secret societies etc weren't as well known back when it was written, and as such I can forgive Tsugumi for completely forgetting about them. But in reality, they would've been a force to be respected from day one of Light's campaign. Or rather, day three or four since it would take a while for them to figure out what the fuck is going on.**

 **As for Luci being less smart than L, that's out of necessity. Because without giving Team Kira even more ridiculous plot armor, there's no way they could've survived this long against a truly intelligent opponent. I should also point out that L is objectively way less intelligent than both the fandom and DN's civilian public perceive him to be, but that's a story for another day.**

 **(Indy's POV, 17:59, July 20)**

The eerie silence of the abandoned aircraft factory is broken only by the soft hum of my motorcycle. Parking next to the central hangar, Katashi and I jump out and approach the entrance.

'So, is this the place?'

'Yup. Should be right inside. By the way, on the off-chance we happen to bump into my dad, do you think you could, I dunno, make yourself a bit more presentable?'

'Oh, yeah, sorry about that. It was one of those "how did I get into bed and what am I wearing" mornings.'

'You said you were going to bed early for this, so I thought that wouldn't happen.'

'That's where you went wrong. Never assume that I'm adult enough to do something on my own.'

'In any case, onwards, to the Kira-Mobile!'

'We really need to think of a better name for it.'

Walking through the doorway, I see the vessel for the first time. I'm slightly blown back by the sheer size and beauty of the black, streamlined, futuristic-looking device.

'You… own this?!'

'Yup. Cost 43 million dollars so far. But she won't be ready to fly until the new engines have been installed. It turns out the scramjets are only a tiny bit better than what the thing had when my dad bought it, and they only work in an oxygenated atmosphere, which the shinigami realm may not have. But until we've got a better propulsion system working it'll have to do-'

*BINK*

'…Why'd the lights turn off?'

'You know what they say, with great power comes a great electricity bill.'

After a few seconds the vast room again floods with light, and I see a young man tinkering with something on the aircraft's underside.

'Oh, it looks like Sol's here today. Hey, Sol! Say hi to my girlfriend!'

'I already told you, Katashi, I have no time to be messing around with children.'

'…Indy, have you ever accidentally befriended someone who is very very irritating? That's Sol. By the way, how's your progress with the weapons systems been going?'

'Well,' I answer, 'the hard part has been finding enough mini-nukes to give this thing a useful amount of firepower. And as Gandhi once said: First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you cleanse them in atomic fire, then you win. Until then we can substitute them for Hellfire missiles, but at a hundred thousand dollars each they aren't cheap.'

'What about the other two systems you were working on?'

'They both require more energy to test, let alone run, than I can get my hands on. So, how long until the new "Baryonic Tardyon Reactor" arrives?'

'It'll probably arrive within a mon-'

*BINK*

'Dammit, if the power goes down again we'll be watching TV by candlelight!'

Looking around I see a faint orange glow from underneath the aircraft, dimly illuminating the hangar as Sol runs up to us.

'What is it?'

'I want to preface this by saying nothing happened, nothing is on fire, it is mere speculation. Do we have a fire extinguisher?'

 **(Okada's POV, 11:47, July 21)**

With the midday sun relentlessly beating down overhead, I whisper into the handheld radio:

' _This is Wonder Waffle to Drop Bear, do you copy?_ '

'Okada, I'm literally standing right here.'

'…oh. Uh, Mungalo, who are all these people?'

Turning to the individuals following him he responds,

'Here's some of my mates from my hometown. They've agreed to help us out if we need backup.'

'Hey!' 'Hi!' 'Hello!' 'G'day!' 'Gracias!' 'Nice to meet you!'

'Okay, now you say hi, Okada,' he continues, gesturing toward them.

'H-hi, guys…'

Did I say that too awkwardly? I think I did.

'So this is Okada, from work. He hasn't seen much of Sydney yet, and when this is over I was thinking we might wanna show him some of the sights. Hey, you know, "Okada" is also a girls' name.'

'SHUT UP MUNGALO!'

Without another word, we begin to search through the shopping mall. Between all the easily visible changes that have been made to the place, from the vastly increased number of security cameras to the small spy drones routinely flying overhead, nobody would think that a couple police officers would be among these unsuspicious people, and our job is just to hang around here all day anyway.

 **(Chris' POV, 16:02, July 21)**

I must say, Facetime has made staying in touch with Lauren a lot easier these last few days. Although focusing on her while also focusing on what to get here at this unfamiliar marketplace is a bit difficult.

' _I must do homework now, bye Chris._ ' _– BIP –_

And so, Rugo and I are once again left to ourselves. Speaking of which, I think my other idea is going quite well. Who else would've thought of using my Shinigami as an umbrella AND portable shade?

'It's kinda funny how Luci's going to treat those places like goddamn warzones, but none of us are even going to go near them. So, what else do we need here?'

Standard phone-ringing procedure is standard.

' _Ne ne pa-_ '

-Beep-

'Hello? I think we have everything, except snacks. You know, so many potato chips in the world are waiting for me to eat them-'

'Do you think maybe at some point we could get a pet?'

'What do you mean?'

'Well, there was this really adorable talking bird in the pet store back there.'

'Get a talking bird. Oh sure, that sounds like a great idea. "Chirp-Chris-is-Kira-chirp". Listen, I have my hands full as is. Lauren, Luci, Dimina, the aftermath of the nuclear exchange… I have so much running through my mind I can barely concentrate. The power of one man like myself doesn't amount to much… but, with whatever little strength I'm capable of, I'll do everything humanly possible to protect the people I care about, and in return they'll protect the ones they care about. It seems like the least we tiny humans can do for each other. And on top off all of that there's the fact I can't even talk to my own family about any of this-'

'You think you've had problems with lying? Listen, kid, since long before you were born i've always been lying. The lie of living. My name too, a lie. My personal history, a lie. Nothing but lies. I was sick to death of a world that couldn't be changed. But even in my lies, I couldn't give up in despair. Even behind the façade I was forced to hide behind, I never stopped trying to make things right. In a way, I wasn't far from where you are now. Like you, I knew that you can't buy peace or love with money and bullets alone, and as those were among my opponents' greatest assets, the cracks in their armor were virtually invisible to them until I reached checkmate. Of course, my victory was nothing short of a miracle. But if miracles only happen once, what are they called when they happen a second time?'

'…I have absolutely no idea what the fuck you are going on about.'

'…'

'…'

' _Ne-_ '

-Beep-

'Hello?'

' _I haven't done any homework but I'm back, hello Chris._ '

 **(Connor's POV, 16:08, July 21)**

With this many people, even if I'm spotted, there's no way I can't just disappear into the crowd. This is a good defense against the security cameras, too. Of course, facial recognition is a thing that exists, but some red hair dye and blue contact lenses should keep me safe enough. I actually made eight lenses, but Chris and Kallet didn't want to show up. So it's just me. Yup, lonely ol' Connor, doing all this shit by myself. And Harry, can't forget about Harry. Well I suppose it isn't that bad. All I need to do is hang around and try to find anyone suspicious. First, I'll obviously look for someone carrying a notebook (like in _Death Note_ ), see if I can take any pictures of them clear enough for someone to do a facial scan of them later, and go home.

'Connor, in Christian mythology, does god really watch us all the time?'

'No, Harry, he does not watch us all the time. He doesn't watch when you Instagram pictures of your breakfast. Because no-one watches that.'

'That's a bit mean to say.'

'If we weren't disguising our appearances right now our lives would be at risk. I don't think you're in a position to talk about meanness.'

'Fair point. And considering the lengths you, Chris and Kallet have to go to just to keep your skulls bullet-free, it only strengthens my hatred of Luci and his supervillain allies even more.'

'That kind of enthusiasm will help when you become the fourth member of our L-case group. Or I suppose you'd be sixth if Chris is successful in recruiting the Blackhearts.'

'And I'm sure we're not the only ones who feel this way.'

'Of course not. In case you haven't been paying attention, Kira, whoever he or she is, has spread through the media like wildfire over the last year. Everywhere I turn, its presence is splattered across the headlines in bold font. Every internet community is buzzing with the debate over the world's "savior". Every TV and news radio station is holding talk shows about the topic. Every wall is covered in promotional or demotional posters: _Praise our Savior_. _Support the Police_. _Protect the People_. _Protect Life_. _Kira is Justice_. _Kira is Evil_. _Make Earth Great Again_.'

'Hey, since you, Chris and Kallet are L's main suspects, have you thought much about the fact one of you three is most likely Kira?'

'Yeah. But it sure ain't me, and out of those two, well, I could certainly see either of them in that fancy suit. On one hand, Kallet's family is really rich, and it's basically common knowledge that she's gotten away with multiple murders already with money and manipulation. On the other hand, Chris was once in the mafia's vigilante corps, which is probably the most Kira-like job anyone could have other than being the man himself. Chris also has all the skills and knowledge he'd need to get started, was a fan of Team Kira even back when it was just a fictional entity in _Death Note_ , plus he has connections with everyone from an expert hacker to a weapons specialist to an air-'

'Well it's certainly one of them.'

'You think so?

'Yeah. If I had to guess I'd say it's Chris, since he certainly has a Kiralike sense of justice, and he seems to truly understand that nothing is ever completely black and white. Except skunks. And newspapers. And penguins. And old movies. And Oreos. And zebras. And killer whales-'

A few sudden gasps a dozen meters away grab our attention, and we immediately rush over to find an armed man dead on the sidewalk, surrounded by a crowd of bystanders.

'What the fuck…'

' _Reporting live for black TV! White folks are dead, we're getting the fuck outta here!_ '

'…Connor, you need to hide.'

'You need to run. Or hide, hiding's probably better.'

After merging into the crowd we find a good hiding spot in a shrubbery as heavily armed police units and SWAT teams enter the area. I can see several bird-sized drones swooping overhead.

'These guys sure aren't kidding. They've probably blocked all routes out of the mall too. Makes sense, I mean, from their point of view one of the Kiras must be here, so this could be their one chance to catch or-'

'Wait. Connor, how did this happen, if neither Chris nor Kallet showed up here?'

'Second Kira, I suppose. In any case, I'm already a suspect so if anyone sees me here I'm dead.'

'…Maybe they've set this up to deflect suspicion onto you. Think about it. Is it just a coincidence that we were almost within eyeshot of that guy when he collapsed?'

'Chris wouldn't betray me like that.'

Listening closely through the bushes I can faintly hear Luci's voice through some of the military-grade radios:

' _Capture Kira if he's alive. If not, kill him._ '

'Damn merciless pawns, obeying every order that son of a bitch gives.'

'Indeed. This world is merciless… but it can also be very beautiful.'

'…'

'…'

'Hey, you! In the shrubbery, get out where I can see you! You some teenage troublemaker?'

Shit, someone found us. Well, here goes nothing…

'No, I am merely one hell of a shrubbery.'

*WEIRD LOUD SOUND*

The soldier suddenly appears startled in confusion, and all noises from his radio go silent.

'Connor, what was that?'

'Our chance to escape. Run!'

With our opponent distracted we speed out of the shrubbery and soon find safety in into an empty alleyway.

'No, really, what was that?'

'Electromagnetic pulse grenade. Disables all electronics within a radius of half a hundred meters or so. You can thank me later.'

We both turn around in surprise to see a familiar teenage girl on her motorcycle.

'Indy? How did you…'

'No time to explain! They've just launched a dozen tomahawk missiles and twice as many Reaper drones, and in a few minutes the entire shopping mall is gonna get blasted out of existence! Hop on, and let's get outta here!'


	37. Alexander

**Listen, I'm not going to make excuses for why the chapters are taking place so far apart, in fact I don't even want to mention it. Neither AV nor undercover AV have left any new reviews, but my girl** **finally got an FF account and has followed, favorited and started reading _私は、キラ/I, Kira_! She seems enthusiastic about it, which is something I'm very happy about.**

 **(Luci's POV, 20:18, July 21)**

A knock at the door informs all of Q's arrival.

'As we predicted, Kira has reacted to what happened this afternoon. It's strange. Unlike the second Kira, the first hasn't used missiles, or anything similar, to deliver his messages to TTT.'

That _is_ interesting. Could the second Kira be even more capable than the first? Nah, that's a dumb idea. What's weirder is that the missiles used have been identified as those used in the mafia's global transportation system. In a few days, all the mafia's abandoned facilities in Australia are going to be destroyed, so maybe that will confirm suspicions that that's where the second Kira is getting their missiles from.

Q starts up the video on his laptop, and Kira appears as he normally does, although his cape is badly torn and his helmet has several small cracks in it.

' _…_ _Attacks confined to myself, I can handle. But what L and the military forces of the United States and Australia have jointly performed was an overwhelming strike on a civilian target, with casualties potentially in the hundreds, if not more. Unfortunately for you, I'm still alive, and I'm not happy. If you want revenge for my victories so far, do it on your own! Don't draw innocent people into it! While I managed to survive, many did not, and I should remind you all that as Kira I strongly prioritize the safety and wellbeing of those who are innocent. As such, I have no choice but to follow through with what I secretly told L earlier this year. Of course, that little message assumed an attempt to assassinate one or more specific suspects, so I'll go easy on you since that's not what you've done here. Specifically, I'll only remove the same number of people that you obliterated just hours ago…_ '

I'm fucked.

' _To clarify, my targets in this retaliatory strike will not include any who are innocent, as that would be immoral and hypocritical, but rather a selected list of the most cold-hearted of L's superiors, allies and various other elitists from the countless deep states and secret societies that are currently leading the war against me._ '

I'm fucked.

' _And no, I am not bluffing._ '

I'm fucked.

' _As for the innocent civilian populations of those who have performed this act of war, I must remind you that the elitists' power is derived solely from your obedience. Its wealth is derived solely from your labor. Its strength comes from your strength. Now are you going to take it back from them!? I'm not suggesting any grand gestures of disobedience, merely the first subtle steps in the right path. For example, it is said that the pioneers of a peaceful world are the young men and women who refuse military service…_ '

I'm fucked.

 **(Ivan's POV, 17:30, July 21)**

The people of Luhansk sure seem cheerful these days. Warm sunshine is reflecting off the white walls and golden domes of the cathedral. In the park, groups of students from the many universities in the area are playing football, or laying on the grass chatting, while in the city, the cafes and bars are full of people making the most of the weekend and the weather. It all seems so peaceful, like it's been so long since the 2015 Minsk ceasefire effectively froze the civil war in a stalemate. Since then, the resistance in Donetsk and Luhansk has become a de facto protectorate of Moscow, known as Novorossiya. An uncertain peace is prevailing, regularly broken by flare-ups along the front line between the NATO-backed Ukrainian military and the resistance. But if all goes to plan, this peace will become permanent.

To many, Russia's foreign policy in Europe appears random, almost chaotic. But in reality, there is a justified pattern to the apparent madness. When Soviet Russia fell down in a flaming explosion at the end of the Cold War, we suffered the greatest territorial loss in our history. And as a result of that we have Russians, people who have been ethnically and linguistically Russian for centuries, finding their homes in territory controlled by non-Russians for the first time since the days of the Tsars. For example, I remember hearing that back in the '20s they called Donbass "the heart of Russia", and now it isn't even part of the damn country anymore. But as the Novorossiyan resistance has shown, the people here won't give up without a fight. After all, what do you do if the ones with the strength don't fight for you? You build your own strength, as they've done here.

In the end, this is the core of Russia's foreign policy in Europe. Everyone knows that it would be both impossible and morally wrong to reclaim all of the former Soviet Union, let alone the Russian Empire, but what we do aim to do is try to save our brothers and sisters who have been exiled into western puppet states. Operation Alexander (which I originally wanted to call "One Big-Ass Mistake for America", or OBAMA for short), first formulated around the time Kira initially made contact with us, is supposed to fulfill all of this in one fell swoop, by liberating all the ethnically and linguistically Russian lands left outside of the federation.

And there's the problem. The six areas Kira listed cover most Russian territory that isn't under our flag, but not all of it. Northern Kazakhstan and a few bits of Latvia are still inhabited primarily by our people, yet they aren't mentioned. And Kira said "any attempted expansion beyond the above will not be tolerated". So, what do we do? On one hand, our position would technically be justified if we went ahead with the full plan. Then again, Assad's government in Syria was on the side of justice too, and just look what happened to them. Although in hindsight, there are two clear reasons why Kira chose to wipe out the Syrian government. First, he would've wanted to end the war as fast as possible, reducing loss of life by as much as possible. Second, he wouldn't want the western elitists to see him as the threat he is so quickly, in fact for a short while they may have even seen him as a potential ally.

Whatever form Operation Alexander takes, what is clear is that Kira has given us a short window of opportunity to do it now. From David Rockefeller to Nathan Warburg, from Paul Volcker to Larry Summers, from Lloyd Blankfein to Ben Shalom, from Charles Koch to George Bush, our enemies' leadership is dropping like flies thanks to this little purge. And in the midst of chaos, there is always opportunity.

 **(Phil's POV, 07:00, July 22)**

'Major Phil D. Stroyer of the USAF, dark-haired and of medium height. A military flyer to the core, with nearly 4000 kills over the years in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya and Syria. Is all that correct?'

'Yes.' (Is she blind or something?!)

'And after hearing your initial mission objectives, do you have any further questions?'

'No, thanks, I'm happy and good to go. I guess this should be fairly straight-forward. We'll get up to fifteen thousand feet and provide surveillance and reconnaissance overwatch for the American trainers looking after the newly-imported firepower near the front line in Debaltseva. And blast the shit out of any exposed Novorossiyan forces we find.'

'Well, you certainly match the description in your file. It says you have two emotions: Emotionless, and blind with rage.'

As my wingman enters the briefing room, the intelligence officer continues.

'Situation over the past few days has remained pretty quiet. There's been the usual sporadic shelling from both sides, each reacting to the other, but the resistance is mostly laying low after our display of strength down in Sydney. Any problems and you have the Quick Reaction Alert flight on the tarmac at immediate readiness…

Oh, and one more thing. We aren't officially at war with Novorossiya yet, let alone Russia. Please don't try too hard to change that.'

50 minutes later, I'm in one of the two F-16 Fighting Falcons leaving Boryspill AFB, airborne over the flat expanse of Eastern Ukraine.

'Zulu One, this is Apollo flight. Are you in contact with freindlies?'

' _Affirmative, Apollo, I've got them covered with my pod._ '

'Copy that, Zulu. Slewing my targeting pod up now. Looks pretty quiet, maybe we'll catch some Ruskies off-guard.'

There's certainly something prideful in knowing that if any Novorossiyans try to mess with our guys below, they have a pair of one of America's most potent strike fighters looking for a kill, screaming across the wide blue arc of the Ukrainian sky.

*radio crackling noises*

' _Apollo, Apollo. This is Giant Killer, are you receiving me?_ '

Unusual for Ground Control to call without a reason.

'Affirmative, Giant Killer. I'm reading you five by five.'

' _Apollo. Bogey one o'clock, inside five miles. Single contact descending to one four thousand._ '

'Copy. Looks like our first catch of the day has arrived.'

Without hesitation I put my aircraft into a steep starboard turn, simultaneously putting my radar and weapons into dogfight mode with a deft flick of my left thumb on the throttle. I vigorously scan the sky through the bubble canopy and suddenly pick up the contact visually: an Ilyushin Il-76, a multi-purpose, four-engine, strategic airlifter, the Russian air force insignia clear to see. And it's heading for central Novorossiya.

'Giant Killer, this is Apollo Two. Tally one. Russian Ilyushin seventy-six, heading east. Do you want me to kill the fucker?'

' _Apollo Two, affirmative._ '

I slow down and circle the Russian plane, rocking my wings from side to side and as I come up alongside, and I can see the pilot in the cockpit of the large aircraft looking back at me in a faintly-shrouded expression of fear. Meanwhile, as per SOPs – standard operating procedures – wingman is providing cover from above and behind. Just as I'm is about to open fire, the ruskie dives. I follow it down, and the next moment hear an exclamation over the radio.

' _Lead, we've been bounced. Four bandits at six o'clock._ '

From the corner of my eye I see a flash as a missile streaks toward us across the sky, doubtless a passive infrared K-74M2 – brutally maneuverable due to its advanced-thrust vectoring which makes it almost impossible to escape from, and the primary close-range missile of a Russian Sukhoi T-50 PAK-FA stealth fighter… Stealth fighter! Fuck! That's why my systems didn't see the son of a bitch!

As I fire back, I'm scrambling to absorb all this new information. Just as I accept what's happening, there's a blinding flash and wingman's F-16 vanishes into a thousand pieces at the center of a fireball. That's the problem with risky gestures. Succeed, and you look badass. Fail, and all you do is leave the bloody mess for everyone to clear up. So, the Ilyushin Il-76 was a decoy. Damn ruskies knew we were about to attack, so they set up an ambush. Clever thinking. Now, how do I kill them?

I first roll my aircraft upside down and pull it into a steep dive, buying myself time. As I do so, the blood drains from my head under the G-force and I feel the suit inflate and tighten around my thighs.

…No missile alarms. That maneuver threw them off balance, exactly as planned. Now, they'll be confident. Only me left. They'll assume they can stop me easily.

Out of the dive I begin to climb, pushing the throttle through the afterburner gate and feeling the kick in my back at it lights behind me. As I do so, I see four distinct dots on the horizon. Four of you bastards. No wonder you're so confident. But I'll take at least one of you down with me. After all, once you taste poison, you might as well finish the meal.

As my F-16 streaks across the sky, I continue to analyze the data my aircraft's computers and my eyes are feeding me. It's just like on my Honda Firebird motorcycle; the faster I drive, the slower the world seems to move around me. I sense the Sukhoi T-50s are inside my missile range and by moving my head and looking at each target in turn, I can slew the reticle, the fine-sighting lines on my joint helmet-mounted cueing system. As I put the reticle onto the first Sukhoi, the "lock on" tone sounds in my helmet until, when I reach a crescendo, I release an AIM-9X Sidewinder infrared missile with a solid, steady trigger pull. See how you like this, bitches!

There's a fractional pause, a white streak across the sky and another fireball where, a split-second earlier, there had been a Russian fighter plane… WOHOO! THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKIN' ABOUT BAB-

 ***BOOM***


	38. Negotiations

**I have an announcement to make. It's unfortunate, but necessary.** ** _I, Kira_** **is on hiatus from now until I've finished 12** **th** **grade and the HSC. I'm not ending or cancelling anything, but don't expect any new chapters until the end of the year. I know this announcement will come as a disappointment, but it simply can't be avoided. In the meantime I might occasionally add to the wiki (assistance with that would be very much appreciated) and get things ready for the next arc of the story.**

 **Thank you all for supporting me up to this point. I will return, I promise.**

 **(oh also shoutout to AddriBlack for following _I, Kira_ )**

 **(Luci's POV, 18:12, July 22)**

Aivenawa concludes the evening discussions with, 'The only thing left in the note is tomorrow at the bottom of the Galston Gorge.'

There was no-one with any suspicious devices on them at the Westfeilds Hornsby shopping mall, at least none who survived. But that criminal… none of my top three suspects were there that day, everyone there at the time was either interrogated and identified, or obliterated. Is the meeting really supposed to happen in the gorge? But how will they demonstrate their power to one another? I don't think there is any other hidden message on here, but I doubt they'd show up after what we did to the mall, and after we announced that this location will be even more fortified. Is the second Kira waiting for the first to come up with a plan to meet? Or…

' _Luci, TTT has received another message from the second Kira. I'll send you the file over this computer first_ ' I hear from Q through my laptop.

'Another message from the second Kira, you say? Start the video.'

The familiar "KIRA" title appears on the screen as-

' _[Girly high-pitched inhuman screaming]_ '

Ah what the fuck?!

' _Hey, Kira, I just met you, and this is crazy, I have your address so…_ '

They found Kira? This can only end positively. (That was sarcasm by the way). How did they find him?

' _So, yeah, I was able to find Kira. People at the TV station, policemen, thank you all very much._ '

At the shopping mall?! I made sure none of the suspects are there, in fact no-one from the entirety of Forbes High School was there! At least none that weren't killed instantly when the place was blown up. But there's no guarantee is was at the Westfeilds mall, or even at any of the places specified. Still…

'At this point I'd like to set up cameras in the Westfield Hornsby shopping center on the 21st so we can catch the second Kira on video.'

'Luci, the 21st was yesterday!'

'And if you had put cameras there when I had requested, then we would have some physical evidence, now, wouldn't we?'

'Yes. So, the Kiras have joined forces…'

'We can't be sure they're working together just yet. Until now, the second Kira has mentioned wanting to meet the first. Now, he or she mentions "finding" them. It's possible that Kira has merely been located, and the second hasn't made contact yet. I think we can say that at least as of this video being made, they haven't joined forces. If they had, I doubt the second Kira would make the announcement alone. Instead, I imagine they'd make a joint appearance together, like a crossover of their two video styles. And that's if they announced anything at all. Even if there was contact, it would be much more advantageous for us to be unaware of it. Can't this person even figure that out?'

Perhaps I've been fooled this entire time, perhaps this is all just a setup, perhaps… Nah, that's a dumb theory.

'At this point, we should send out a message directly to the second Kira.'

'Message?'

'Shut up Okada. As I was saying, we have the police and military pretend to offer the second Kira leniency in exchange for the identity of Kira. This will be even more effective if the first Kira doesn't know who the second is yet. Blackheart, would it be possible to make it sound like we're offering the second Kira immunity for information leading to the capture of Kira?'

'They've killed multiple innocent people that we know of, we can't-'

'We won't mention that. We'll just say something, like, that they'll be treated like a hero and we won't come after them? I want this done as soon as possible. It's 7:25PM right now, we should prepare something to run on every station at 8:55.'

'Yes, understood.'

'…Q? Do you have anything else to say?'

' _Ah, yes, I have good news and I have bad news. The good news is that the wiretap detectors are doing what they're supposed to. The bad news is that they've detected wiretaps._ '

 **(Ivan's thinking, 04:58, July 23)**

I've arrived early this morning at the National Defense Control Center, the NDCC, where the War Cabinet meeting is to be held. The news from Ukraine had been phoned through to me yesterday evening, just as I had arrived at my apartment. I've been at the gym working out on the judo mat with Vladimir. I've already double-checked the arrangements for this morning's meeting, and now I'm just sipping some tea in the commander's office as I wait for Vladimir to arrive. In the corner of the office, various independent news outlets are running and re-running the massacres of ethnic Russians in Estonia and Latvia. Young, hard-working, well-educated Russian protesters, many of them children and teenagers with their lives ahead of them, callously snuffed out by a fanatic's bullets. And all while peacefully exercising their democratic right to protest against the discrimination imposed on them by the Latvian and Estonian states which showed their true fascist colors within an hour of Operation Alexander commencing. Followed by desperate pleas for Russian protection, mothers and fathers in tears, fury on their faces, demanding that we save them and their families.

Meanwhile, Filatov is sitting nervously at his desk. The youthful-looking commander of the NDCC who, with his perfectly coiffed hair and full lips, looks more like a fashionable hairdresser than a general, clearly knows that this is a big day for him. It's rare for the War Cabinet to meet here and that means that he and his staff have been working tirelessly to get everything prepared. A bit unnecessary in my opinion.

Built on the banks of the Moscow River, the vast, classic edifice sends a powerful message about the perseverance and survival of the reinvigorated Russian state, after the chaos and weakness following the collapse of the Soviet Union in the 1990s. The new top-security fortified facility, with its brand new supercomputer in the heart of a state-of-the-art data processing center, secret transport routes for emergency evacuation and a helicopter landing site, is a visible manifestation of our inability to accept defeat even in the darkest of times.

'Sir', Filatov's Military Assistant interrupts, 'all the members of the War Cabinet are assembled and Vladimir Putin's helicopter is due in ten minutes'. Shortly afterwards, Filatov and I stand at the edge of the aforementioned NDCC helicopter landing site while the bulbous shape of Vladimir's preferred helicopter, an updated version of the tried-and-trusted Russian rotary-wing workhorse, the Mi-8 "Hip", lands in a tornado of wind, roaring engines and clattering motors.

The side door slides open, and the Russian president nimbly jumps out before giving us a small salute. Filatov anxiously leads him past the Guard of Honor, every man towering a full head above the rest of us, with burnished, gleaming jackboots, all presenting arms with the standard ceremonial firearm, the old SKS Semi-automatic carbine.

Then it's into the building with the doors spreading open automatically, into the lift, and down to the ballistically protected basement and the principal War Room, with its concentric rings of desks and banks of computers. Around the walls are interactive screens showing maps complete with icons indicating the positions of NATO and Russian formations during the advance through Ukraine and the two northern Baltics, together with satellite photographs of major incidents and battles. Other TV screens show live 24-hour "news" from propaganda outlets from Fox News to CNN.

As we walk onto the bridge overlooking the War Room, we're greeted by Sergey Shoygu, Defense Minister of the Federation, very much the tough-looking, twenty-first-century Russian general, in bizarre contrast to the coiffured Filatov. Shoygu quickly updates Vladimir on the ease in which Russian and Novorossiyan forces are cutting through our three current enemies.

'The first twelve hours of Operation Alexander have gone as planned, and since NATO expected us to begin at nighttime, we actually managed to catch them off-guard, which is rather amazing. At T+2 and a half hours, airborne landings at Riga airport and east of the city gave us out first foothold on the Latvian coastline. We've also received word that our first paratroopers to drop into Kiev have done so with minimal casualties. In Eastern Ukraine and North-East Estonia, our ground forces have mostly been welcomed by our until-now-oppressed Russian comrades, but things will become more difficult as they push past those regions into the non-Russian areas of all 3 countries.'

The door at the back of the bridge opens and there, around a circular table, stand the other members of the War Cabinet. On the walls are smaller screens showing the same maps and satellite images as in the main War Room. Flanking the screens are the same green curtains as in Vladimir's office in the Kremlin, also tied back with the same gold ropes. Behind Putin's chair there is only one decoration: the gold double-headed eagle of Russia on a red shield.

As Vladimir takes his seat, the aura of uncertainty is really starting to hit me. Ignorant of this, Shoygu continues.

'Our simulations predict that our air deployment should be successful at neutralizing the Latvian fleet around 90 minutes from now, and in 6 hours our tanks will reach Kiev to reinforce the paratroopers. 6 hours after that the last remnants of the Ukrainian military will likely no longer exist, and another 12 hours after that we'll have secure land connections between our borders and the capitals of both Latvia and Estonia. We'll also have all of North-East Estonia occupied by then.'

'…Ivan, you seem really tense.'

'If you had less vodka earlier you'd be too, Vladimir Putin', I honestly respond. 'All of this rests on two assumptions: That NATO will not join this war despite the fact two of its members are directly involved, and Kira won't change his mind about us being the good guys.'

'The western elitists already know that if they go to war with us, Kira will wipe them out. They're already struggling to recover from his little purge yesterday, the last thing they want is to be finished off. In any case, the west isn't stupid enough to start a war, that would end civilization, over three tiny countries in Eastern Europe! As for Kira, well, if he wasn't on our side we'd already be dead. Our EMP detonations couldn't have crippled every single internet-capable device in those 3 countries, in fact I bet the internet is exploding over this already. It'll be a wet dream for western propaganda, and thanks to Hillary's stupidity in America's election last year, they now have a perfect scapegoat to blame their defeat on.'

' _If_ it's a defeat for them.'

'Stop worrying so much.'

'I'm just saying… They've dropped the bomb before. They won't hesitate to do it again.'

'Well Japan couldn't exactly fight back. Besides, it's not like that's the reason they surrendered any-'

A faint buzz from Vladimir's phone draw's his attention. Peeking over his shoulder I see it's from… Henry Kissinger?

' _Putin, there are your military vehicles on our allies' territory. Get them out immediately!_ '

' _What military vehicles are you talking about? These are just peaceful agricultural harvesters._ '

' _Oh yeah?! Even the helicopters?!_ '

' _ESPECIALLY the helicopters!_ '

'I didn't know you have his number.'

'We met a couple times.'

( _29 hours later_ )

As diplomats from all nations involved arrive and take their seats at the negotiating table, a new face catches my eye before she is the first to talk.

'Vladimir Putin, we're hon-'

'I've never seen you before, who are you?'

'You can call me M.'

'A bit unprofessional for them to send a new recruit in to represent them in such an important-'

'The usual choices are all either too scared or too dead to show up. In any case, I may be new to the elitists, but not to warfare. Hey, at least the big cheeto isn't here. He'd probably start going off on a tangent when someone jokes about his hand size and he'd say something like "Look at the size of this thing. Huge. Must be 18, 19 fingers on there."'

'…Okay, then. Now let's start getting to the point already. Our requests are simple. Luhansk, Donetsk, Kharkiv, Ida-Viru and Eastern Latvia are all to be annexed into the Russian Federation, Sevastopol and Crimea are to be formally recognized as part of Russia as well, and the current regimes of Estonia, Latvia and Ukraine are to be replaced with new, neutral governments.'

Kharkiv and Eastern Latvia definitely weren't on Kira's list. This could end badly, very badly. But first let's see what this "M" has to say.

'We've anticipated such terms, and here's our deal. We will accept all those conditions, and in exchange you are to end all military and economic alliances with Serbia, Pakistan and China.'

'…Care to clarify?'

'Serbia is your only remaining ally in Europe, China has the largest economy and second-largest military on Earth, and Pakistan is the only Islamic nation with a nuclear arsenal of its own. You already know all of that, so is it a deal or not?'

'Listen, M, the integrity of the Latvian and Estonian states has collapsed, both countries are more than half occupied by our forces, Riga is now entirely under our military control, amphibious landings on Estonia are taking place as we speak, and one word from me will continue the operation into Lithuania, Poland and Finland. After all, the best way to remove your lies is to make them come true, so ironically your western fearmongering-'

'We accept your deal', I desperately interrupt.

'IVAN! …Fine, as he said we accept.'

Half an hour later, M and the other diplomats leave, and Vladimir turns to me with a deathly stare.

'Ivan, what's your plan?'

'We already know that Kira has attempted to contact various other countries the same way he contacted us, and we've already discussed how the unusual pro-Kira activities of many of those governments more or less confirm that at least some of them have accepted his offer for cooperation. Sure, we may have just lost Serbia, Pakistan and China as allies, but Kira is already soon going to have countless more on his side.'

'You're basically saying that the fate of our nation rest in the hands of a-'

'Yes. But with a virtually unwinnable war with the west as the only alternative, do we really have a choice?'

'…'

'Vladimir Putin, Ivan, you both need to see this.'

'What is it, Shoygu?'

'Two things, actually. First, it appears that Saudi Arabia is using the hysteria over all of this as a distraction. Here, he made this speech less than an hour ago.'

Without hesitation he pulls out his phone and shows us a video of the aforementioned speech on YouTube. My Arabic isn't that good but I can figure out what he's saying.

' _People of Saudi Arabia! I come here before you to tell the world that they shall bow down before our mighty nation! We are two months away from enriching weapons grade uranium… To be used for peaceful… purposes! It will be used for medical research and clean energy, it will! And it will certainly never be used to attack Ira... to attack Ira… I'm sorry this is just so hard to say with a straight face!_ '

'…And the second thing, Shoygu?'

'The US has just announced that Canada will be holding a referendum on annexation into them. Obviously a majority of Canadians would hate the mere thought of such a thing, so it'll probably be rigged.'

'Those sons of bitches! They know they can't keep Canada on their side forever as an independent nation, so they think they can just annex the entire country and think we don't notice? Well, we probably still have some time before the annexation referendum, so we'll need to get Canada on an official pro-Kiran stance by then. This'll be hard.'


	39. Evacuation

**So, as promised, I have returned! From now on, chapters may be coming out slower than before, but there won't be any more ten-month gaps. And if you want chapters to come out faster, you can always help out by:**

 **Liking and commenting**

 **Contributing to the wiki**

 **Subscribing to Pewdiepie (completely unrelated but important)**

 **Now, in the vast sea of time between February 24 and now I have gotten exactly one comment, from Mcho1907:**

 ** _I couldn't stop laughing... Keep,up the good work!_**

 **Thanks. Now, that was posted on chapter 20 so idk if he finished it since then or not. In any case, here's my post-HSC debut. Also Merry Christmas, Happy New Year etc.**

 **(Chris' POV, 20:55, July 24)**

As Lauren and I get comfortable sitting on the bed in front of the TV, the ANPA response begins.

' _Hey, Second Kira, this is the police! We were just wondering if you were willing to give us Kira's real name. We'd accommodate you in some way, like, giving you a better jail cell or a less painful execution or something. If you contact Kira, you will only be used and killed. Kira is a mass murderer, you must not help him. What you must do now is think of the value of human life and atone for your crimes by revealing what you know to the police, and save the world from the terror of Kira. Please consider your options._ '

'…I've been looking forward to this. Now then, Lauren, let's show them who has the high ground.'

'When this is all over, I want my sanity back.'

 **(Okada's POV, 06:02, July 25)**

'Hello.'

'Okada, you've come at a good time', Luci replies.

'Oh really? What's up?'

'We just received another video message from the second Kira.'

'Again? That was fast.'

'Shut up Okada.'

*click*

' _Hey guys, welcome back to the Kira show! Just kidding, it's me again. I just wanted to let you guys know that… regarding the ANPA propaganda that was broadcasted earlier this evening, let me make it clear that I am no fool, I am no weakling and I will not betray the side of justice. To hell with your lies! To hell with the evil, corrupt, puppet-wielding powers that be! And to hell with your fairytales of an evil Kira! Did you not hear what that piece of shit was spouting out his piece of shit mouth?! Do you think I'm dumb enough to fall for such disgusting delusions?! And to those bystanders that denounce my methods and Kira's, and who can't accept us as anything other than villainous, let me ask you a question. If there is an evil that cannot be defeated through just means, what do you do? Do you stain your hands with destruction to destroy evil? Or do you remain steadfastly just and righteous even if it means surrendering to evil? In our case, we commit a little evil in order to destroy the greater evil! And one last thing. Kira, within the audio of this video I have encoded the coordinates and time for us to potentially meet, since it would be too dangerous to encounter you at your address._ '

'...Well then, let's start decoding that audio right away. Pearl?'

'I'm on it, Luci. I must say, the second Kira sure seems angry at us.'

'Well that's to be expected. After all, hatred is power. It is yours to control. All you have to do is turn it into strength, and use that strength to move forward.'

The second Kira has a bit of a point, though. But it's best that I don't let anyone know I know that.

(Two hours later)

'Alright, we've got a Kiran response already. His method of delivery is still different to the second's, so at least that indicates that they might not be cooperating yet.'

*click*

' _If nothing is done, clueless people who only care about saving their own skin will unwittingly set humanity on a path towards self-destruction. I for one am both glad and proud that the Second Kira has proven themself to be more than that. I am also impressed with your arrangements for our meetup, and I can confirm that I will be there at the specified time and place. However, there is one other significant issue that I must address, and that is the conflict that has taken place in Eastern Europe. You can tell a lot about a place by how they treat their people, and the oppression of Russians in Ukraine, Estonia and Latvia has been nothing short of unacceptable. However, while I must applaud the Russian Federation for liberating them and for forming neutral governments in those three nations outside of elitist control, I must warn them that further expansion will not be tolerated. And asking me for compassion is mistaken, after all I have no heart or time to spare, so take my warning seriously and we won't have a problem here. And to all you Western pawns who are going to get upset over the fact I'm not wiping Moscow's leadership out of existence as punishment for this perfectly justifiable action, well let me put it to you this way: What do you call an anti-Russian, anti-Kira fear-mongerer? Mein Fuhrer._ '

 **(Dimina's POV, 08:54, July 25)**

As much as I hate to admit it, I think I'll miss the trip up to this abandoned airfield. Above the treetops there's a gentle breeze, and the cheerful laughter of Kookaburras contrasts the guzzling rumble of the motorcycle down on the dirt path. Alongside Rugo I glide down to just beside the Kiras as we approach the facility.

'We should be there in a couple minutes. Remember, we aren't trying to recover everything from the airfield before it gets blown to bits, just everything we can get out in time after sending out our last wave of diplomatic messages.'

'So Chris, on a scale of one to ten, how bad do you think it would be if-'

'At least twenty. Now Rugo, Dimina, while Lauren and I clear the control tower I'd like you two to gather up all the drones and missiles. We should have two left of each… Dimina? Dimina, are you even listening?!'

'Yes, it just takes me a while to process so much stupid all at once.'

'What, you think we can't do it?'

'Yup. The bombers are probably halfway here already.'

'…So, did you hear the news today?' Lauren asks.

'Not yet.'

'You lucky son of a bitch!'

'What is it, Lauren?'

'So, I was watching the news.'

'…And?'

'I wouldn't recommend it, to be honest-'

* _SCREEEETCH_ *

Chris slams the brakes before hitting the airfeild's warehouse, fast enough for several things to fall out of the motorcycle.

Including Lauren.

'Hehe, you failed!'

'Yeah, Dimina, and so did your dad's condom.'

Ignoring us, Chris jumps off the motorcycle and starts unloading everything that isn't scattered all over the place.

'I'll run up to the tower, see if it picks up anything on the radar. We should have time.'

'Are you sure about that?'

'What do you mean, Dimina?'

'Are you, yourself, positive about your current idea?'

'…And what's that supposed to mean?'

'Is your second-person existence undeniably positive of your present idea?'

'Yup.'

Without another word he enters the control tower, reaches the top floor, and flicks every light switch. None of them turn on.

'Well that can't be good… ah, at least the radar's on.'

The glowing display shows a bright green dot approaching from the North-West, followed by another as Rugo comes into the room.

'What are those?'

A third dot appears, followed by a fourth, and a fifth, and a sixth.

'Those are planes… that's a lot of planes… Shit, we've got incoming!'

From downstairs I hear, 'Chris, is that you?'

'What?!'

'I said is that you?'

'I can't hear you! It's too dark in here!'

*Facepalm*

'Lauren, we've got half a dozen aircraft currently about three hundred clicks away and moving inbound at… very fast.'

'How long do we have?

'Not long. Let's get to work.'

I glide through the wall of the tower to the warehouse and help Rugo to load the mini-nukes out and onto the motorcycle.

'…I'm worried.'

'Why? They knew what they were getting themselves into. It's dangerous to be right when the powers that be are wrong. And it's nothing we haven't handled before.'

'But half a dozen planes is a lot of firepower-'

'So what, Rugo? We're Shinigami, we're indestructible, so I don't give a damn.'

'Don't hide it, you give so many damns they're visible from space.'

 **(Lauren's POV, 09:02, July 25)**

'You know, you are actually a very nice person, you don't seem to care that your life is constantly at risk, you just want people to be happy, you are a very nice person.'

'...Not really, I assume that you'd do the same things as me if you got the Death Note first.'

'You assume? You know what happens when you assume-'

'I don't. Yet you're confidently asserting that I do.'

'…Oh. Hm.'

'Check and mate. Anyway, it looks like those six aircraft launched cruise missiles and are now retreating. We might be able to defend ourselves.'


	40. Bully

**Soon-ish I'll be starting university, but I'll do my best to avoid letting that get in the way as much as the HSC did. Anyway, shoutout to neblinadesol for following** ** _私は、キラ_** ** _/I, Kira_** **, and to "The Hand of Section XIII" for following and favouriting.**

 **(M's POV, 09:03, July 25)**

After a few seconds, the new satellite imagery projects onto the screen. I must say, I'm grateful I'm able to command all of this from my apartment. Just goes to show how much things have changed since the mafia's days fighting the NKGB…

'It seems we've caught them in the middle of their evacuation! Now, this is where we snuff out the Kiras once and for all. Proceed with the operation, and give the green light to our F/A-18 flock to deploy their entire payloads on the target.'

 **(Chris' POV, 09:19, July 25)**

With one drone's left wingtip welded securely to the other one's right wingtip, all that's left is to connect up the "tails" of each one to the front of the motorcycle using this steel… rope cable thing. That will require some more welding, but we don't have time for that so instead I'll just use several layers of Flex Tape.

( _Twelve seconds later_ )

'It looks a bit like a pod-racer, doesn't it?'

'I still think you should've gotten my brother to do the reprogramming and rewiring of the drones' control systems.'

'And let him know that we're the Kiras? There's no way we could hide our true identities from him if we made that request.'

Against the backdrop of the dark thunderstorm rolling in from the eastern horizon, Rugo glides down from the control tower.

'So I just checked the radar, we've got 24 more aircraft coming this way in addition to the missiles. It looks like they'll show up about a minute after them.'

'…oh god…'

' _Ne ne papa-_ '

-Beep-

'Hello?'

' _Hey Chris, where are you?_ '

'Oh, Connor, I'm just, umm… out somewhere. You?'

' _At school, waiting for you to show up._ '

'Oh, damn, sorry, I'll be a while.'

' _Anyway, great news, I've found out where Luci's Kira case is headquartered._ '

'Wait, what? How'd you manage that?'

' _It was kinda simple. When I had an opportunity to I attached my phone to the underside of Luci's limosine?, and used the "find my iphone" app to track his movements, and after doing so for a day I've taken note of every place he's been to, or at least every place the limo's been to, and there's one that sticks out like a sore thumb. It could be a decoy, of course, but we need to investigate it… What's that static noise?_ '

'I think it's the rain.'

' _DAMN IT, RAIN, GET OFF THE PHONE!_ '

'Chris, we have to go now!' Lauren interrupts.

'…Sorry, I'll have to call back later.' _\- BIP -_

In one smooth move I simultaneously throw on my Kira helmet and hop on the motorcycle, twisting the handlebars to start up the drone's engines (the less said about the rewiring involved in setting that up, the better). Lauren quickly seatbelts herself behind me.

'You know, Chris, I hope this bombing won't ignite the forest. The fire danger rating was high this morning.'

'But that's only, what, the second lowest setting? You know, there's nothing that says "Australia's weather system is messed up" like the fact that our fire danger system doesn't just stop at "extreme". And the second lowest setting is "high". Now, get ready for take-off...'

The evacuation contraption speeds down the runway and lifts into the air, but in the corner of my eye I can already see multiple points of light approaching from the horizon…

Wait, Lauren's… she's holding her arms around my waist. I know it's just for stability but it still feels… comforting. Still, she hasn't really opened up to me yet. Heh, _that's what she said_.

A flew bright flashes of light from behind indicate the arrival of the cruise missiles, followed several seconds later by the sound of explosions. In the motorcycle's rear-view mirror I see red-and-black clouds rolling up into the sky and beginning to dissipate. But of everything I can see in the mirror, that isn't what worries me.

'Bad news, we're still at least ten clicks from the storm cloud, and the second wave of aircraft, fighter jets it appears, are catching up on us fast. Now, our longest-range weapons are AR15s, which have a maximum range of 600 meters, and even if we could get within range I doubt we'll be able to fire considering how fast we're going through the air, so we'll have to use the forest as cover.'

I quickly angle down to a roughly 30 degree angle, and we pick up some speed descending before I level out just above the treetops.

'Now there isn't enough room between the trees for us to go lower, but even from here we're close enough to confuse the fighters' missiles' ability to lock onto-'

 ***BOOM***

 **'** **AHHH!'**

 **'** **AHHH!'**

 **'** **AHHH!'**

'…Wait. Guys, we aren't going down. How are we still flying with just one drone?'

From beneath the torn-apart remain of the left drone's hull, Dimina responds in a weak voice.

'Not… even… a "thank you"? …Damn, you guys… you guys are heavy!'

'Now THIS is pod-racing! Thanks!'

'Shut… up… Chris.'

Our entire evacuation contraption is suddenly lit up from behind, and in the rear-view mirror I see a growing ball of light rise into the air…

'What's that?'

'Must be a low-yeild nuke. Don't worry, we're far enough away.'

'They nuked our base?'

By now, the ball of light has cooled down into a mushroom-shaped mass of smoke and ash and-

 ***CRACK***

 ***BOOM***

…that was rather delayed.

'So they nuked the base?'

'Yeah. Looks like it was between one and three kilotons, so if I had to guess I'd say they used the 1.5 kiloton setting on the B61.'

'Okay but, in English, what does that mean?'

'It means the United States has just used a nuclear weapon on Australian soil. I can't wait to see how everyone will react when they find out, after all they'll have to try very hard to cover up something that big or bright, let alone the crater and fallout from it. But just to be sure that the world knows what's happened here, I'll be sure to put it in my next Kira video.'

 **(M's POV, 9:24, July 25)**

'Ma'am, they're underneath the storm now. We can't track them by satellite.'

Dammit. You win this round, Kira.

 **(Chris' POV, 12:38, July 25)**

I don't see how I managed to fuck up so much shit in an hour and a half. We lost one of our drones, our only place to launch them from, we were both over an hour late for school, and I still feel like I'm frozen solid after all that wind-chill. Oh, and I haven't had a single class with Lauren all day since we got back, so I don't know where she is now. It's lunchtime and this is where we agreed to meet up, in the shadow of the main building, but I guess she's in the bathroom or something. Hey, at least Connor just showed up.

'Here you go, nice hot cup of coffee.'

'…It's cold.'

'Nice cup of coffee.'

'It's horrible.'

'Cup of coffee.'

'I'm not even sure it's coffee.'

'Cup.'

'…'

'Anyway, what were you two up to this morning?'

'Oh, just… teenager stuff. What about you?'

'Well, during recess I almost choked on a sausage and no-one at my table noticed.'

'Maybe if you weren't under the table they would've.'

'Hey, that's mean! And you two aren't in a position to talk if my suspicions are right.'

'Umm, what?'

'Oh, you know… don't worry, I won't tell Kallet.'

'No. Nononono! That isn't what's going on at all!'

'But you should. I know you have a thing for Lauren, and she has a thing for you too.'

'Not true. She just thinks of me as a… a strategic ally, you could say.'

 **(Lauren's POV, 12:40, July 25)**

Come on, come out already…

'She's such a weirdo, I'm telling you!'

Who's that? Sounds like Kallet. I can't see anything through the cubicle's tiny door gap but I recognize the voice.

'Lauren, you mean? Well, she does keep to herself, if that's what you mean.'

And she's brought one of her henchwomen too. Best to stay silent.

'She's one of those half-Asian abominations, you know.'

'But Chris-'

'Chris is the hot kind of Asian. Lauren, on the other hand, she's probably one of those crazy weebs who eats pets and watches tentacle porn. I've also seen her talking to some kind of imaginary friend a few times, so she might have some mental issues as well. Perhaps if we're lucky that'll kill her before she becomes too much of a burden.'

You sure love to talk shit about people, don't you? Makes you wonder how her other victims have handled it. If they did.

'Are you sure that you're not jealous because she's taken him?'

For fuck's sake, why can't two people be friends without being in the center of all the gossiping? It disgusts me how High School society functions.

'Kallet, do you think they're, you know… together?'

'Well, if they are it won't last long. You know how well I can seduce boys…'

'They call you a slut because of that, you know?'

'They only call me that because I get what I want… and by any means necessary.'

'But Chris dumped you last time.'

'Last time I had no competition, well other than Viper who conveniently died without me having to lift a finger, so I didn't have a reason to try as hard as I should've. But this time I'll have him to myself, and I'll keep him. Lauren's going to wish she was me. You know, I heard her mother was murdered in front of her two years ago. Watching that could've given her killing tendencies…'

HOW DOES SHE KNOW ABOUT THAT?!

'Wow, really?'

'It's true. She may act all tough for now, but the truth is that some people don't last long in this world and unless she steps out of my way soon, she's going to be one of those people. You'll see I'm right soon enough. Some people don't live good lives like I do, and eventually they either kill themselves, or they kill someone else, in which case they're basically feeding themselves to Kira. That peasant's not like us! She's not going to be anybody in life if she doesn't act and dress like us normal people!'

'Kallet, aside from the fact you're starting to sound like a racist infomercial, you almost sound like you're looking forward to her death.'

'Of course I am! She has taken from me what is rightfully mine!'

And it sounds like they're walking out now. Finally they're gone, but…

'What the fuck. How the fuck. Why the fuck-'

'Lauren, stay calm… please.'

'You know what they say, panicking burns a shitton of calories!'

'Who even says that?'

'Me. Just now.'

 **(Tom's POV, 13:01, July 25)**

'Whether it's identifying someone's name and other key information just by seeing their face, listening in on the phone conversations of the people around it, hacking into and controlling security cameras, turning any ATM or vending machine into a free money/food dispenser, remotely misfiring or shutting down pacemakers, remotely emptying all the insulin in one or more target insulin pumps up to a hundred meters away, bursting underground steam pumps, detonating gas pipelines, triggering city-wide blackouts, taking full control of nuclear powerplants, water filtration systems, subway tunnels, remotely controlling thermostats, mimicking any wireless network to steal information, rigging electronic ballot boxes…'

I had the phone-sized object to Alice, and watch the rather cute look of curiosity on her face.

'This is… how long did it take you to make this?'

'Don't get too excited, most of those planned features haven't been implemented yet. But to answer your question, version 1.1 of the WatchDog has been in development for about a month, with about two hundred hours of work put in so far.'

'And what's motivating you to resume work on it so quickly?'

'That's classified. Sorry.'

'Tom, pleeeeeeeeeeease?'

'Hmm, how about this. Answer one thing for me and I'll tell you.'

'It's a test, isn't it?'

'Maybe.'

'Okay…'

'On a scale of 1 to 10, how likely is it that this question is in binary?'

'…4?'

'Not a valid answer. Better luck next time.'


End file.
